The Knightly News

North’s girls’ tennis team dominated Hightstown on September 22nd, boosting the team to an 11-0 record.

The match was played on Hightstown’s ten-court tennis area.  All the individual matches were played simultaneously, so activity was high.  Tall trees made a wall to block out the view of the soccer field about 100 meters away.  Everyone seemed very content on both sides.  Stereotypical tensions between opposing sides were non-existent, shown by how friendly and supportive the two teams were toward each other.  Both teams’ girls played well, with good sportsmanship from both sides.

Though both teams were missing their starting singles players, the doubles matches were especially intense, and teamwork and communication proved key. Cries of “You got it” and “I’ve got it” echoed around  the courts.  North coach Arnold Rich explained, “We’re developing good chemistry and people are trusting each other—especially the doubles teams—which are always very important to winning hard matches.”

The singles matches were also very intense, as the two girls from opposite teams tried to keep up with one another.  The rallies ranged from quick-fire exchanges to  impressive, minutes-long showdowns.  “Those games when you’re on top of things, you’re making few unforced errors, it feels really fun to play, and it makes you realize how much you actually enjoy playing,” senior Ruchi Vyas said.  “In terms of when you’re not playing your best game, it really makes you focus on what you need to work on.  I think that those games improve your games more than at practice.”

In the end, each individual was victorious; the girls won every one of their matches.  Junior Audrey Chen won 6-3 6-1.   Sophomore Amanda Binder won both sets 6-0.  Senior Eva Sachar charged to a 6-4 6-3 victory.  In the doubles, freshman Nora Binder and  senior Arielle Bosworth cruised to a 6-3 6-1 win.  Seniors Michelle Lee and Ruchi Vyas won both their doubles sets 6-0.

The girls look forward  to a promising season this year—a season of wins, teamwork, and friendship.  Chen says, “I think this year, our team has gone a lot stronger, as a family, and as playing tennis.  I think that even if we loses or even if we win, we’ll still leave that all behind and learn that we improved and how much we gained experience from each match.”