The score is 40-30. Senior Alanis Cameron prepares to serve the ball. She bounces the ball up and down as she takes deep breaths to get herself ready. Cameron throws the ball up and it comes in contact with her racket. The ball flies over the net and the rally begins. The ball sails back and forth while Cameron remains focused on her strategy to win the match. 

On Sept. 29 the girls tennis team took on Grandview high school for their senior night. Both JV and Varsity beat Grandview in a shutout 9-0. The four seniors on the team helped in the defeat by winning their doubles and singles matches. Senior Annabella Gilmore believes the win was good for the energy on the team.

“Everyone is winning right now so it makes for a very exciting night especially it being on our senior night,” Gilmore said. “Everyone is very happy so it’s been a good night.”

The night before the team took on William Chrisman and won 6-3 for the first time in the four seniors’ high school careers.It was also the first time the team had defeated the Bears in five years. Assistant coach Adam Dickmeyer feels that the win over Chrisman helped propel them in the win over Grandview. 

“It was the first time the seniors ever beat Chrisman in a match so it was really nice for them to get the win and I think it really gave them confidence to win in their senior night and do well in Districts,” Coach Dickmeyer said. 

The team’s four seniors have all been playing since their freshman year, going from a group of ten freshmen that year to the four who remained at the end of this season. These seniors all rose high in the ranks over their four years to be the number one, two, three, and five seed on the team. Cameron thinks her senior year has gone really well.

“It has been really successful,” Cameron said. “I’ve placed in three out of four tournaments and have just done really well.”

The team’s seniors all ran doubles that night. Emma Brown and Cameron’s group won 8-3 and Kayla Roberts and Gilmores group winning 8-4. Roberts feels the night was a win for everyone involved. 

“We all have won, so that’s a good thing on a senior night,” Roberts said. “It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of emotions but it’s been great.”

The team finished the season 8-6 in match play. Brown feels that this year has helped the team to grow.

“We’ve grown closer as a team and we met some good freshmen who have really improved and I’m glad we are leaving the team in good hands,” Brown said. 

The ball flies through the air and lands on Camerons side of the court, she is prepared and hits it right back over at her opponent. The ball flies over once more but Cameron is ready and meets in the air, slamming it down on the other side of the court. Her opponent is not able to return it and Cameron comes up victorious.