By Staff Writer Michael Ding
Second game down with one more set to go, the NNHS girls tennis team cheered on seniors Abbie Boswell and Jessica Hu as they fought through their match against the Benet Redwings.
It was a tough match as Boswell and Hu played Benet’s number-one doubles team Allison Bartley and Katie Telford. It seemed like the two were everywhere on the court, and the Huskies could not seem to make them miss a return.
Hu and Boswell had a slow start, losing their first set six games to one. But the pair fought hard, making Bartley and Telford work for each point, continuously tiring them out. However, the Huskie duo was outmatched, and lost six games to two in the second set.
“Today, we were not at the top of our game,” Hu said. “We tried our best, but the other girls played very well. Their strokes were very good.”
Hu and Boswell had a lot of good returns, but it seemed as though they just could not get the other girls to miss. Coming from this loss, Hu acknowledged the areas in which the Huskies could improve their game.
“Improving our strategy and where to go on which shots is something we can work on during the season,” Hu said.
Despite the Huskies’ slow start, head coach Heather Henricksen has an optimistic view of the girls’ tennis season, noting the experience many of her athletes have.
“We still have a lot to learn on the court,” Henricksen said. “Despite that, we do have a lot of experience from the seniors. We are strong mentally, and we are going to use that to our advantage.”
Ultimately, the girls’ strength showed as they walked off the courts with a 5-3 win over Benet.
The Huskies have been working hard in practice, conditioning, taking care of their bodies and playing competitive matches against each other to prepare for the next big match in DVC.
“The strength right now is within our doubles,” Henricksen said. “We just need to stay aggressive and not back down. With experience and comfort, we will definitely be looking good midseason. We have been doing a lot of competitive drills in practice, but the key is just playing more matches.”
