VICTORY: Girls’ tennis team rallies to beat King 12-6.
By Abby Burke, Staff Writer
The Poly girls’ tennis team continued their season with a 12-6 win against King High School in a non-league match. Poly’s victory gave King its first loss against another Riverside team. “Our team this year is strong in every area, and we are the team to beat, not them [King],” Co-Captain Makenzie Nelson said.
“Our expectations were to play as well as we can,” Coach Richard Moore said. The team was able to accomplish this with the help of every J.V. and varsity player. “That’s why we are where we are at because they are all standout players,” Moore commented.
At the match, Poly players’ and spectators’ spirits were high. The players were cheering on all of their teammates, encouraging them to play well. The bleachers were filled with supporting fans, and bright green and orange posters for each player adorned the courts.
Nerves impacted the players’ performance during this important match. “I feel that there was more pressure on us to do well in this match, but we put the pressure on ourselves,” Nelson said. Co-Captain Sophia Helfand (11) said, “To overcome my nerves, I just tried to focus on doing my best and ignore the pressure.”
This was a historic victory for the Poly girls, Riverside’s new tennis powerhouse.