On Sep. 28, the varsity tennis season came to an end. However, there has been a lot to smile about following the end of the season and for the rest of the year.

Varsity tennis player Sukhmani Nanda looks back at the season with a sense of joy and pride in what they accomplished and experienced as a team.

“This year’s fall season was filled with lots of close matches and loads of memories,” Nanda said. “It was our first 5A season, and it was difficult, but, as a team, we fought to the best of our ability and made it through.”

Varsity tennis player Steven Jin believes that despite room for improvement, progress has been made compared to last year’s season.

“I think the season wasn’t bad,” Jin said. “We are stepping up a level from last year, playing a lot of great teams. We adapted pretty well. We had lots of close matches that we could have won, but [we] backed off a bit during the pressure times (moments), so we are hoping to improve on that and have a better season next year.”

Junior Keerthi Bitra says that some of the season’s highs and most enjoyable parts involved the team aspect.

“I had a lot of fun with the team,” Bitra said. “There are more people on the girl’s lineup this year compared to last year.”

Jin accredits the social and athletic progress made from the fall season to the coaches, Stephen Maupin and Marissa Latham. 

“The coaches provided a lot of help in terms of singles and doubles strategies in addition to technical help,” Jin said. “They broke down the strategies and taught us how to think on the court and change things up when playing different opponents.”

Nanda also praises the coaches for their leadership as they involve themselves in the development of their players.

“They are always happy to help me out, whether that is fixing my form or just having a conversation about my mental game and ways I can improve,” Nanda said. “Coach Maupin and Coach Latham are truly the best coaches I have ever had, and I feel my game has improved so much because of them.”

Looking ahead to the off-season and spring season, there is plenty to look forward to for the Mavericks, knowing that they will improve their game during that time.

“I am looking forward to more conditioning during the off-season and I am especially looking forward to playing singles during the spring season,” Jin said. “I am sure that there will be a lot of great matches, and I am always excited when playing high-level competitions.”

For these three players, being a part of the team has helped them to become more well-rounded people and better athletes. With so much in store for the team and the maturity these players display, the sky’s the limit for what the Mavericks achieve on court.

“Being on the Emerson tennis team has helped me in so many different ways,” Nanda said. “It has helped me make so many friends, made my confidence grow, and I have learned so much from my peers and coaches.”