With the start of the 2022-2023 school year, the Mills High School Girls Varsity tennis team is excited to participate in the upcoming season. The team’s first two recent games started with a triumphant victory against Terra Nova High School followed by an unfortunate loss against Capuchino High School.
Coach John Daquioag, the Girls Varsity tennis coach, expressed his confidence in his tennis team this year. “Seniors through their hard work, camaraderie and keen sense of sportsmanship instills confidence in the rest of the team.” He shows pride in his seniors’ and juniors’ skills and looks forward to coaching the new underclassmen recruits, who will be the new future of the Mills Girls Varsity tennis team.
When inquired about her experiences being on the tennis team for the first time, Natalie Cheng (9) responded, “Tennis has been fun so far, but also challenging at times. So far, I’ve enjoyed meeting new people and improving my tennis skills. But sometimes it can be difficult and can test your perseverance. I look forward to this season.” In addition, Cheng left a motivational message for the team this upcoming season: “Believe.”
At the game at Terra Nova, the score spelled victory for Mills, winning 6-1. Through an intense singles match with Kylie Huynh (9), she made her way through with 3 sets. While losing the first set 3-7, she broke through with a 7-6 (7) for her second set, finishing it off with 10-6 for the third and final tiebreaker set. The other 2 singles matches were both successes with 6-2, 6-2 for Rachel Cheng (12) and 6-0, 6-0 for Alyson Lo (12). With no one available to play for singles 4 from Terra Nova, Mills automatically won the singles 4 match by default. In the doubles games category, doubles 1 unfortunately lost with an intense 5-7, 3-6. Although they only had a loss in their match, doubles 2 achieved their win after another 6-0, 6-0 and gained their last actual game win. The last team point was achieved through another default due to Terra Nova’s lack of members.
When asked about the new singles 1 player for the team, Huynh, Daquioag stated that the team is “anchored at the top spot by a freshman who exudes camaraderie and sportsmanship, but rather than put off the team, she gets them to rally behind her.”
Following the game at Terra Nova, the team went on to play their second game at Capuchino High School, which led to an unfortunate loss. Nonetheless, Huynh, along with Mina Law (12) and Chloe Feng (11) managed to win two team points through their effort and persistence.
With the season kicking off with an intriguing start, captains of the tennis team express their confidence in the players to improve throughout the season. They believe that in order to refine their skills, players should practice as much as possible and keep a positive attitude no matter the outcome of a game.
Doubles 1 player Erika Kita (12) reflects: “Last year the seniors were really inspirational for me as a first time player, and this year, the singles players are rising to fill their spots. The freshmen who haven’t played before also work really hard, since they are attending every practice and improving fast. Even though a lot of us are new, we are still like one big happy family.” Kita additionally suggests that if players are in search of help or feel out of their comfort zone, Coach Daquioag is welcoming and supportive as a coach and can assist with drills step by step.
Coach Daquioag announces that the team has shown “competitiveness and mental toughness against players who may have started at a younger age.” He leaves an inspiring message for players on the team: “Skills are built daily and if we get better day after day, that is the victory.”
By Rachel Cheng, Staff Writer
