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Annie Qiao

Co-captain and freshman Taira Asakura prepares to serve.

The boys tennis team (1-1) was defeated by Crean Lutheran’s varsity team 4-14 on Feb. 13 in the first game of the season. The next match will take place today at Santa Margarita High. 

“[The games] were fun and very interesting, and we went against the varsity team, so it was pretty hard. I’m not sad we lost, because it was a good challenge,” doubles player and freshman Eddie Chen said. “We managed to score some points against the varsity team.”

Freshmen singles players Taira Asakura, Shawyan Rooein and Roham Ghiasi and doubles partners Venkat Kandhipati and Aditya Sasanur defeated their opponents and brought the team’s overall score to 4.   

“My first game was by far a lot more difficult, playing against a senior. He was really good,” co-captain Rooein said. “I’m really really excited [for future games], because I don’t want to lose like I did [today].”

Head coach Natasha Schottland scheduled a match with Crean Lutheran’s junior varsity team due to the fact that there was no frosh soph team, so the team was surprised when the varsity team, which consisted mainly of seniors, showed up for the game.

“First I felt excited and happy, but at the beginning of the game I was really nervous, but I think I got used to it,” co-captain Asakura said. “I think I also need to improve in my nervousness. I should be confident at every single point in the game.”

After the first round of games, there was a tense atmosphere among the players, but they remained supportive until the final tiebreaker between Justin Tam and Alex Chun from Crean Lutheran had ended.

“I felt at first a little nervous – we played varsity – but at the end we rallied together as a team and supported each other, and that’s all I can ask for as their coach,” Schottland said. “Something to improve in would be our mindset that we are the best, because we are not, and losing is a learning experience that everyone needs. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season with this good group of boys.”