The tennis team said goodbye to 13 seniors before their matches against the St. Joseph Academy Angels on Sept. 8. Held at Oakwood Country Club, members of varsity participated in nine matches overall performing well, but falling 0-9 to St. Joseph. Knowing that this is one of the last days to shine light on their accomplishments, head coach Brad Drummond is disappointed to see them go.

“It is sad to see them go,” Drummond said. “But I’m excited to see them face new challenges in life.”

Getting closer to the end of the season, the team is focusing on working hard in each match. Confident that the team will compete well on their way to Districts, senior Catherine Henne has high hopes for the rest of the season.

“I hope the team can be District champs again, hopefully making it to State,” Henne said. “I know we have the players to make it far we just need to put the pieces in place.”

Last season, Henne and alumna Margo Gerke were the only members to qualify past Districts for the team. This year the goal is to return to that spot and make sure every member is involved in doing so.

“We have kids that I’m confident in that will make it far,” Drummond said. “If all you do is stay one play ahead of your opponent, everyone will make it far.”

The seniors took the role of leadership well, according to team members. They were competitive and set high standards for those underclassmen competing alongside them.

“Being older than the rest of us, it was easy to communicate what they wanted and I think they handled it well in the long run,” junior Keali Myrick said.

Following in the footsteps of her fellow seniors, Myrick will be the only senior next year to lead her team. Although she has a lot of responsibility, she is confident that she’ll have the tools to allow the team to prosper.

“I hope to do well next year, and maybe bring up a few juniors next year to help me out,” Myrick said.