Girls’ Tennis Triumphs in Scrimmages

The girls’ varsity tennis team kicked off their season with two consecutive scrimmages against Governor’s Academy and Middlesex School last week. The girls sweeped both games with a 9-0 win against Governor’s and a 15-0 win against Middlesex, starting off on a strong note.

Upper Darja Prokopeca was impressed with the team’s wins, considering that the team has had little practice outdoors so far this season. “We had only trained outside twice before these matches so there was some getting used to being outdoors,” said Prokopeca.

Though the team has had little training so far outside, upper Elizabeth Yang mentioned how well the girls work together. “Right from the beginning of the season, the team is very solid,” she said. “All six of us have played tennis extensively before coming to Exeter, and our doubles pairings also work very well.”

Even with the challenge of being outdoors, prep Emily Baxter believes that the team was able to focus on their games using the skills they practiced. “The team was able to stay consistent and use what we have learned in practice in our matches,” Baxter said. She added that both opponents were “strong teams that played very well.”

During the scrimmage against Governor’s Academy, Big Red played in matches of eight sets with each of the members winning 8-0 or 7-1. Middlesex proved to be especially formidable. “The two teams were close in skill; however, we recognized Middlesex as having stronger shots,” Prokopeca said. Despite the additional challenge, Exeter was able to pull off an impressive win against Middlesex.

Before the scrimmages, the girls worked on sticking to their shots no matter what play their opponent takes. Yang recognized the importance focusing on the shots, believing that following an opponent’s play can become an easy weak point. “When opponents do not hit hard shots back, it is easy to slow down and play into their game,” Yang said.

Prokopeca identified the shots as a key to success in the game, as players should make sure that each shot allows for scores to increase rapidly. “Much of our focus was putting the shots away [and] keeping the points quick,” she said.

This season, the girls plan to put in their best effort in practices and games, as well as grow closer together as a team. “This year, the team has an exciting energy – we cheer each other on and have already shared many laughs,” Yang explained.

Baxter also expressed her belief that the team is exceptionally  close with each other. Though she is new to the roster, Baxter said, “One thing that stands out about this year’s team is the chemistry.”

Upcoming for the team is a home game on Saturday in the new indoor tennis facility versus St. Paul’s. Looking forward to the rest of the season, Prokopeca added, “I think the goals would definitely be to just bring our best selves to the court, play our game and win some matches. It’s been really important to play our best, regardless of the level of our opponents or what we believe their level to be.”