By George Keene

Sports Editor-in-Chief

The Red Lion Girls Tennis Team, coached by Troy Miller, had a winning season with a record of 9-2 overall, with a record of 6-2 against YAIAA Division I opponents. 

The team is composed of 11 players, three of which are seniors, six sophomores, and two freshmen. While most seasons have been similarly structured, this year, Coach Miller made a change. 

At the start of every season a power ranking is made, listing who the top seeded player is, all the way down to the lowest ranked player. In prior years, this ranking would be solidified throughout the year and there was no chance to change your position in the rankings, this year, however, Coach Miller decided to switch it up and have challenge matches every Saturday.

Challenge matches are matches played within your own team and determine where you will be in the power rankings. This gave an opportunity to players who were lower in the rankings to work their way up. 

Senior Sophie Lanius shared some of her thoughts about playing weekly challenge matches against her teammates.

“Well, you obviously want to win,” she said. “It’s hard because you don’t want the chemistry of the team to be messed with, but you want to be competitive and prove yourself.”

Lanius has been as high as the second seed in the rankings and knows what it’s like to want to move up to the number one spot, currently held by sophomore Lexi Lakatosh, who won the county tournament last season.

Lanius also said that there were “a lot of close matches that were pretty even.” Seniors Makenzie Zagroba and Emily Szot are just a couple of her friends she has had to play against.

Practicing together every day, you would think that they would know each other’s play styles well, but Lanius disagrees. “It’s different than playing someone you don’t play normally, because you’re so used to being with them.”

This adjustment made by Coach Miller has led to another winning season for the Red Lion Girls Tennis Team, and as they look ahead to the county tournament, Lanius told The Leonid, “[I’m] looking forward to me and Lexi winning in the county tournament.”