The AHA girls tennis team recently defended their conference title in a thrilling match against Visitation. Going into the match, the Stars had an undefeated record; they left with one too. Coming into the game, the Stars were ready to win, and after dealing with Vis intimidation tactics and praying a quick serenity prayer, they were off! Four singles matches were played, with sophomore Elizabeth Payne winning her top ranked match in two sets, both with the score of 6-0. The second-ranked singles match was played by junior Shelby Schnell, who played a solid game but unfortunately came away with a loss. Sophomore Katie Jung played the third singles game and forced her opponent into triple sets and a tiebreaker, though her opponent eventually won out. Last but not least, the fourth-ranked singles game, played by junior Josephine Brown, ended with another point for the Stars, as Brown won her sets 6-3 and 6-0.
Another key factor in the win against their rivals was the strength of the AHA doubles teams. First-ranked doubles pair, seniors Samantha Goedde and Marissa Jung, smashed their opponents with a win in triple sets, including a tiebreaker that ended 7-0. The next doubles pair was made up of junior Anna Rosenberg and senior Regan Cook, who fought hard against their Vis counterparts, but were unable to come away with a point. Third was the doubles team that won it all: Maggie Fenlon, a seasoned senior and a former Vis student, and sophomore Claire Holton, a new and talented addition to the team. Fenlon and Holton played the last match, and with both Vis and AHA tied at 3 points, it was all up to them. The pair won their first set, setting themselves up for a seemingly easy win, until Vis responded with a win in the second set, forcing the game into a third. Through an abundance of hard work and communication, the pair won their last set 7-6 with a tiebreaker that ended 7-0. After the last point was won and the pair shook hands with their opponents, they ran off the court to celebrate with their ecstatic team.
Though the Stars accomplished a great feat, the win would not have been possible without the participation of the entire team. The three exhibition players, junior Ella Rosenberg, and seniors Farah Abdelhadi and Yigale Gabriel, brought an encouraging energy and spirit to the courts that the Stars surely benefitted from. Switching from court to court, they cheered for every AHA player and brought a positive energy with their singing, snacking, and supportive comments. After cheering copiously for their teammates, each of the exhibition players then went on to play games of their own. Abdelhadi and Rosenberg played doubles against a Vis team, and Gabriel played singles against her teammate, Cook. All three girls played great games and did what they had to do to help secure a third consecutive conference championship for their team.
