The girls varsity tennis team will be competing at their annual sectional competition this Friday, Oct. 13 at 1:00 p.m at Niles West. With two individual competitors and one doubles team competing from Niles West, the tennis team is optimistic they will win against their opponents to then move on to the state competition.

Coach George Bravos has confidence in the athletes competing, and although they’ll be going against tough competition, he still keeps a positive mentality heading into sectionals.

“Our team should be competitive in the first round with a chance to qualify for state. We are all hoping for the best. Our doubles teams have been diligently working on their serves, volleys and team play while our singles players are working on consistency in their ground strokes,” Bravos said.

Senior, individual qualifier and co-captain Emily Duong believes that because the team this year has bonded well in relation to past years, and this will ultimately help them when it counts: sectionals.

“As co-captain, my team goal was to build a sense of unity among the girls. I hosted a team bonding where my co-captain, Grace Geraghty, brought ribbons so that we could all make hair-ties together. We regularly talk in our group chat as well, and I am proud to say that our team is much more cohesive than years past,” Duong said.

Along with being a very physically demanding sport, tennis is also very mentally demanding. Keeping a positive mental attitude is something that Duong belives will help her defeat her opponent.

“Tennis is a tricky game in that both mental and physical must be optimized to succeed in the game. Now that my skills have improved, I still have the mental to focus on. It is crucial to not beat myself down after hitting a bad shot, but I am still working on staying calm and collected,” Duong said.

According to senior and varsity team member Grace Nguyen, one factors that helps the team at sectionals is knowing the strengths and weaknesses of their competitors.

“I expect the team to perform with confidence no matter how hard the opponent is,” Nguyen said. “Some personal and team goals that I have is to stay humble and stay grounded no matter how hard the opponent is and to try your best no matter how hard you have to play.”

Be sure to stop by the tennis courts today after school to cheer on your Niles West varsity tennis team.