Girls Tennis Stays Optimistic Following 0-3 Start

The girls tennis team is prepared to battle through adversity after getting swept in all three matches they’ve played thus far. 

The Spartans’ opening match against Belchertown was the closest they’ve come to victory, but they haven’t been able to bounce back since. 

It didn’t help that the Spartans squad, coached by Karen Fawthrop, had to play the 3-0 Longmeadow in their second match, going out in two sets for all five matches.

However, there was one thing senior captain Olivia Sweeny was able to take away from the doubles match she and fellow senior captain Mandolyn Harris played against the Lancers. 

“Longmeadow’s players were all really good when they played up at the net, so it was super important to keep the ball away from them as much as possible!”

Drawing back on East Longmeadow’s matchup against the Orioles, another doubles duo in sophomores Mikayla DiFlorio and Sara Kulla took Belchertown’s Brooke Burrows and Kasey Gibbons to three sets. 

Another match that went three sets against Belchertown was the Spartan’s third captain, senior Keeley Kaye, versus Belchertown’s Anna Stamp, who ultimately claimed the victory in a thrilling 10-7 final set.

Kaye and Stamp’s match wouldn’t have made much of a difference for the Spartans on the scoreboard if Kaye had gotten the win, but she received support from her teammates throughout the match nonetheless.

“Encouragement is extremely important for tennis!” Sweeny said. “Tennis is a very mental-based sport, so having teammates that encourage you is really important when you’re playing in a match, especially if it’s against a hard team.”

This type of team chemistry is not only good for encouraging teammates, but also for communication among doubles.

“It is really important to be able to communicate well,” Mandolyn Harris said. “If you can’t do that, then you’re not going to win. It will make it so much easier for that line of communication to open up.”

Though Sweeny and Harris didn’t compete against yet another undefeated team, the 2-0 Minnechaug Falcons, in their latest match, they know something they need to work on next.

“Being able to communicate well with your doubles partner is essential to playing well!” Sweeny said. “One thing I think we all could improve on is our mentality going into matches. If we go into a match thinking that we’re going to lose no matter what we do, it will make us play even worse.”

Harris expanded on the importance of containing a good state-of-mind while competing.

“Having a good mindset is going to be good for everything,” Harris said. “My best strategy will be keeping up a positive attitude and keeping my mind clear so that I can actually focus on the game.”

The Spartans look to get their first win of the season in Amherst this afternoon.