After a rough year for Aragon sports with delayed seasons due to COVID-19, girl’s tennis (2-3 Peninsula Athletic League)* is finally starting again.
Tennis looks a little different this year. Next to the tennis balls and rackets are wipes and bottles of hand sanitizer, but looser county restrictions on masks outdoors have made it easier for the team to play.
“They can play without masks now, and masks … cut down on your respiratory system,” said head coach Dave Owdom. “With COVID-19, we’re just doing the things we’re supposed to. They’ve relaxed everything. We’re still doing what we can; I wear a mask even though I’m vaccinated, just to protect them.”
“It feels amazing [to be back]. After [COVID-19], I [felt] so isolated”
Tennis is a no-contact sport and allows players to social distance during matches, which helps make practices and games safer.
“[Tennis is] definitely one of the safer COVID-19 sports because we’re spaced out and there’s really no contact. I feel a bit safer not wearing masks during practice,” said junior singles player Shreya Arjun. “I personally wear masks when I go to games because I want to be more safe when interacting with other schools.”
Along with adjusting to a season amid COVID-19 concerns, new members of the Aragon girls tennis team have to adjust to the schedule.
“At first, it was a bit hard to get back into [in-person school] … and now I have to adjust to … practice after school,” said freshman Katie Yue. “I’ve been adjusting alright. I have a lot of friends on the team and everyone’s really … welcoming.”
The team is looking forward to a season of competition, with the end goal to qualify to the PAL playoffs.
“Our goal is to try to make the playoffs,” Owdom said. “We’ve got some very good teams. [Menlo-Atherton] is the perennial champion and they’re going to be very hard [to beat]. There are some other really good teams. If you finish in the top four, then you make the playoffs and you can go from there. That’s what I hope they can do.”
Outside of the daily school practices, some players practice in their own time.
“On the weekends I also try to go out and practice,” Yue said. “You get that … mental toughness by playing games. Just practice.”
An obstacle standing in the way of the Dons making it to the playoffs is that fierce competition from Menlo-Atherton (5-0 PAL)*.
“There’s not too much I can do to prepare,” Owdom said. “They have a lot of ability. We’ll just try to put the best team out there and give the best effort and just be mentally tough. People had to play up, they learned, and hopefully we get better.”
“I was really proud of me and my partner because we were close to [our opponents’] scores”
The Dons faced Menlo-Atherton on Sept. 21. After tough games for all the players, the Dons were defeated 0-7.
First doubles team, consisting of senior Phoebe Lin and Yue, lost their first set 7-6. Sophomore first singles Varsha Jawadi was ahead in the first set, but her opponent came back to secure a two-set victory.
“[Menlo-Atherton is] very good, overall, and I think … they kept that standard today,” Jawadi said. “They just played really well.”
Jawadi hopes to use this game as a chance to improve.
“I think I need to make sure to keep working hard,” Jawadi said. “I have some [technical skills] I need to focus on in practice and … hopefully next time I can do a little better.”
Other players on the team echoed her sentiments.
“I was really proud of me and my partner because we were close to [our opponents’] scores,” said senior doubles player Jazene Sacramento. “I feel like we did improve a bit after this game because it was really challenging but [also] really fun.”
A chance at the playoffs and a season of regular competition means a return to normal for players. After a year of delayed or cancelled sports, regular practice and games offer a sense of connection for players.
“It feels amazing [to be back],” Arjun said. “After [COVID-19], I [felt] so isolated, especially from sports. Just getting better at the sport [and] being able to play against other schools [is] a privilege and I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”
The Dons will face Woodside (4-1 PAL)* on Oct. 5 in a home game at 4 p.m.
*Records as of Sept. 27
