Game, set, match!

The boys’ and girls’ tennis teams have had great seasons this year with seniors Kristen Groninger and Michella Douglas, and junior Jimmie Walker remaining undefeated all season. The girls participated in their district championship match on Thursday, May 6, and the team has multiple players from both teams that will be participating in the district individual tournament.

Walker and Groninger take place as the top players in the boys’ and girls’ individual tournaments, and the team of Douglas and junior Krysani Hogg take top seed in the girls’ double tournament.

The seniors have taken a great leadership role this year in helping the newer players.

“The seniors have been instrumental in the training of the new players,” head coach Brad Kovach said. “Often the seniors will help run drills, offer tips on form and strategy, and serve as positive role models for the underclassmen.”

Although the seniors graduate this year, a number of players seem ready and able to step into the leadership role. The team will be needing these players as they get use to a new coach after Kovach leaves Bartlett High School to teach at Cayman International school in the Cayman Islands next school year.

The team has improved much over the course of the season, but this comes across as normal for most tennis players.

“Tennis is one of those sports that can be hard to keep up with in the off-season,” Kovach said. “As a result, the experience players receive during the season is very evident as the season progresses.”

Three girls participated in the state tournament last year, and the team hopes to send a few more this year. Kovach has shown excellent coaching and seems assured that the team will carry on the Panther’s winning tradition into the next season.

Sports Brief: Tennis has two undefeated

The Bartlett tennis team is having a winning streak this season, but only two players have perfect records thus far: senior Kristin Groninger and sophomore Jimmy Walker.

“Kristin has been playing since she was, like, eight,” sophomore Anne Albert said. “She’s really good.”

Groninger and Walker, along with the rest of the tennis team, will progress to the district tournament in early May at Rhodes College. Team competitions will take place May 5-6, and individual matches will take place May 7-10.

Tennis plans to backhand season

In the first match of the season against the Craigmont Chiefs, the Panther tennis team mauled their enemies almost to the point of death. The girls won three of their four matches, and the guys won all three matches. With a team consisting of mostly underclassmen, this was no easy feat.

“I think we’re more prepared,” sophomore Anne Albert said. “Last year the freshmen didn’t know how to play and didn’t know any of the rules.”

Some players, including sophomore Dima Cooper, believe that playing the tougher schools last year helped the team to improve this year.

“Last year was better,” Cooper said. “We played White Station and Germantown, and they’re harder schools. I am looking forward to playing Cordova, though.”

The players attribute some of their success to their coach, Brad Kovach.

“He tells you exactly what you need to do,” Albert said. “If you’re having trouble serving, he’ll tell you to work on serving.”

Even the upperclassmen admit that his coaching style helps them improve.

“Kovach is more laid back, but he pushes us,” senior Michella Douglas said. “He urges us to do our best and keeps us emotionally stable in matches.”

Kovach’s gift came in handy on Apr. 7 when the team vied against archrival Bolton High School. Although the girls won 4-1, the boys’ match was called off due to the rain. At the cut-off, the boys were tied 2-2. The match will be continued at a later date.

A match against Millington the next day faced fairer weather and similar results. The boys won 2-1, and the girls took the gold with 3-1. The match brought Bartlett’s overall record to girls, 3-0, and boys, 2-0.

Even though the freshmen may not have all the strength they require yet, they have teammates to whom they can look for advice on how to get better.

“I’ve gotten stronger since last year,” Albert said. “I couldn’t get the ball over the net, couldn’t win matches. It was really easy for others to beat me. As a team, I think we’ll get more wins [than last year].”

With the season only beginning, the tennis team still has a while to go before reaching their goal of winning the state championship.