Girls' Tennis Battles to Victory in Choate Game

After two difficult losses against Andover and Milton, Exeter’s girls’ varsity A tennis team made an impressive rebound last Saturday against a tough Choate Rosemary Hall roster, claiming the hard-fought victory with a 5-4 score.Going into the match against Choate, the team tried to stay fit and improve all aspects of their game in preparation, according to senior Anna Gruen. “As a team, we worked hard on conditioning the last couple of days, and we made sure to go into the match on Saturday very focused and well-prepared,” she said.Lower Dana Tung agreed, pointing out specifics of the team’s practices leading up to Saturday’s meeting. “We focused on volleying and overheads during our practices before our match against Choate. We knew that if we focused on every point of our matches, we could beat Choate,” she said.Once the time came for everyone to get on the courts, the meet proved to be a tight matchup between the two teams. In addition to the Choate players bringing their best to the court, Exeter endured a scare when Tung, who plays #3 on the team, suffered a minor injury, requiring a ten-minute break; however, she quickly recovered.Although the day was filled with ups and downs for both sides, the deciding match for the team came when Gruen and her doubles partner, senior co-captain Nicole Yoon, pulled through in the #1 doubles by a close score of 9-7.The girls expressed their joy and confidence boost resulting from the win. “This is a great rebound,” prep Taylor Jean-Jacques said. “We had not won against Choate in the past four years, so our older teammates were the most excited about our victory. This is also a pivotal match for our team, considering we have the Kent Tournament next weekend.”Yoon agreed. “I think this was a very important win for us. It definitely helped us bounce back from our most recent losses, and after beating a team we've lost to in past years, we know we have what it takes this season,” she said.Now, past the halfway point of the season and with important matches such as the Kent Tournament, Exeter/Andover games and the New England Championships looming in the near future, the team must retain their focus and dedication to practice.“We need to make sure that we keep working on our strategy as a team, working hard to condition, and staying healthy and rested to make sure not to get injured during these last few weeks,” Gruen said.Others believe that doubles play will remain a crucial factor in close competitions. “I think the team needs to work on doubles. In the end of tight matches, the victory always comes down to the doubles,” Tung said.Jean-Jacques agreed. “We are most focused on our doubles game. Often times, the victory or defeat of our team depends upon our doubles matches, and so far, we have definitely improved as a whole.”The girls travel to Kent this Saturday to play in the annual tournament. Senior co-captains Yoon and Giulia Olsson will be familiar with the tournament, as they both advanced to the semifinals of the consolation round in 2012.