Our Last Season
At last, the regular tennis season has come to an end for the class of ’26 players, with their senior night taking place just last Thursday. Seniors Isabella Sihalath, Isabella Wu, Jayla Hall, Lyndsie Lapierre, Mendy Chen, Alisha Zhuang, Elizabeth Ricci, Luisa Guo, and Giavanna Gillheeney were commemorated.
The seniors were honored with a joyful and bittersweet celebration. Arianna Picard, along with other underclassmen, took on the responsibility of planning a memorable night.
The underclassmen decorated the courts beautifully with golden streamers, handmade senior posters, and prepared a feast of sweets and pizzas. In addition, they also thoughtfully curated gift baskets for each senior on the team. Furthermore, they also took the time to prepare and give emotional speeches for each of the senior girls, telling them how they had impacted the team and their own lives, too.
It seems we have become a rather tight-knit and bonded community of girls. Many of us have spent four years together on the team, shedding blood, sweat, and tears on the courts. As a senior myself, I believe I will never forget the team bondings we had over the years, watching horror movies, feasting on pasta, going out for Chili’s, getting froyo, and more, nor the countless hours we practiced our favorite sport, gradually witnessing each other grow as players and people.
Every game and season we played was a journey, from our freshmen year we had picked up rackets for the first time in our lives, to our sophomore year we saw ourselves improve, to our junior year where most of us had joined varsity and faced the difficulty of temporarily losing our home courts due to construction, and finally, to our senior year which we hope will never end.
These girls, this team, and these coaches have made an undeniable mark on each other’s lives, and for that, the girls and I are eternally thankful.
We’ve faced wins as well as losses, and have found motivation from each one. This season we finished with a record of 10-4, 2 more than last year’s and a striking 7 more than two years prior. Coach Jerry is very impressed with us, having said,
“This is the best record we have ever had in D-2 [which the team has only been in for a few years] in 35 years.”
Needless to say, we have improved immensely, and I can foresee an even brighter future with our upcoming underclassmen, but our season is not over just yet.
Playoffs
On Tuesday the 21st, we will embark on our first playoff game this season against Rogers HS, and hopefully the first won playoff game in D-2 in Lady Cougar Tennis history. Cheer us on Cougars, and remember, once a Cougar, always a Cougar!
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Our Seniors:
Check out our senior night photos & posters!
