Junior Meilin Rife and Senior Mana Ueno wins first game
On Sept. 26, Aragon girls tennis (13-3 overall, 7-1 league) celebrated a historic 6-1 win against Menlo-Atherton (5-3 league), their first victory over the league leader in 13 years. Though the team faced last-minute lineup changes with No. 2 singles senior Anna He returning from a wrist injury, the team won all of their doubles and dominated the singles.
The team started their season with a bang; they remain tied with Burlingame with a 5-1 record in the Peninsula Athletic League bay division and look forward to their rematch with Carlmont, last year’s reigning PAL champion.
Besides No. 1 singles Ella Teng facing a hard defeat of 0-6, 0-6 against the number one seed in PAL, the singles lineup took decisive victories within the first hour. Freshman Hayley Chong was the first to conclude her match, winning 6-0, 6-0 at singles No. 4. Minutes later, senior co-captain Lian Wang won 6-1, 6-1 substituting in at No. 2 singles. Sophomore doubles specialist Jessa Williams also rose to the occasion with 6-2, 6-0 victory at No. 3 singles to extend her undefeated league record. Meanwhile, doubles No. 1 freshman Allison Newman and senior Anna He took their match to super tiebreaker, winning 6-4, 4-6, 10-6.
“We persevered, we were very consistent, we had a good energy, we pulled through,” Newman said. “And we won! That was great.”
Even outside the court, the girls’ passion for tennis grows. The team looks forward to their season ahead with vigor, training harder and harder on the court.
“It’s my favorite part of the day,” Newman said. “I’m in a classroom and then it’s just like ‘Oh, there’s tennis!’ and it’s just so much fun. I’ve improved a lot, created so many friendships and really grown as a player as well.”
While their success on the court remains tied to their skill level and hard work, the team attributes it to their bond on and off the court.
“One of our strengths is definitely the connection we have,” Teng said. “We’re all friends and we sometimes hang out outside of tennis too.”
When playing doubles, team chemistry is essential for success. The players play off each other’s strengths to create a powerful pairing that can dominate the court. While the doubles lineup struggled with tight matches in previous seasons, their growth is evident their performance this year. At No. 2 doubles, senior Kat Russell and junior Taylor Lee won 7-5, 6-4 with extensive rallies while senior Mana Ueno and junior Meilin Rife gained momentum with a 6-4, 6-0 victory.
However, strategy is also a key aspect when thinking of winning; in doubles, it is important to remain aware of the opponent’s weaknesses.
“I always tell my players, there’s always a stronger player. And in a big point or whatever, you should always target the weaker player,” Owdom said. “They figured it out; they found the player and hit them.”
Additionally, mental struggles often run rampant before games. Many of the girls on the team recall facing issues honing in on their games and focusing on their play.
“I hope to improve on being less nervous — I definitely feel more pressure playing for a team, because of the people — you want to win for your team, y’know?” Teng said. “But when you’re out there, just by yourself, you’re like ‘Oh, if I lose, I just lose’ and ‘It’s just my fault.”
While celebrating their win and achieving milestones, the team looks forward to their season up ahead.
“[This is] the best season we’ve had for a while in the girls program,” Owdom said. “Things are looking up for Aragon Tennis.”
Their next home game will be on Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. against Half Moon Bay.
