The tennis team finished their season with mixed results, finishing first in girls’ doubles, but losing in each of the other regional matches.
Seniors Matthew Tan and Mia Milicivic were unable to win their mixed doubles match against Churchill and senior Miram Elag lost to the Bulldogs in girls’ singles. However, after a competitive match, junior Marie Boy and sophomore Zoe Rojas Camacho walked away with a girls’ doubles regional championship for the second year in a row, moving on to the Maryland state tennis tournament.
Not only was this the second regional doubles trophy in the last two years for WJ, but it was also Boy who led both matches. The result is even more impressive considering that Boy and Camacho played their first match together just two days before regionals.
“It was an instant connection,” Boy said. “Our play styles just clicked. I play well at the net, and she’s great on the baseline.”
The duo came back after losing the first set, dominating the second and winning a nail-biting tiebreaker at the very end.
“The work’s not done,” Boy said. “We came second last year in states, and this year we both really want to get that top step.”
The results weren’t all as positive.
The boys’ team fell short, not being able to secure any qualifying spots in singles. Additionally, mixed doubles Matthew Tan and Mia Millicevic lost a tie-breaking set to Churchill. For Elag, who lost her singles match to the defending state champions Churchill, the season was still a huge win.
“It’s my senior year, and in previous years, I focused a lot on my own personal improvement and development,” Elag said. “This year, I’ve invested more in team support. I’ve felt the family. We showed up as a team and left everything on the court. The energy, the focus, the support — we brought it all, and I couldn’t be prouder of the progress we’ve made as a team.”
The 2025 season has been a huge step forward in terms of progress and player development.
“This year was a huge improvement. We lost key players from last year, but the team really stepped up,” head coach Mitchell Du que said. “This is one of the first years where all the girls got consistently better and played at an increasingly higher level.”
Duque also mentioned the importance of keeping your cool during games.
“Our players know that we’re the school that hosts counties and regionals, so there’s eyes on us,” Duque said. “It’s important to turn up the pressure in practice so you can stay calm in the game. I’m able to trust my players and let them in the driver’s seat during matches because I trust their mental strength.”
Besides Duque’s commitment to the team, the players all worked hard to perfect their craft and bring their best into the season.
“I’m able to focus on the team as a whole during big games because our players fine-tuned what was holding them back throughout the season,” Duque said. “You don’t see progress like this every year.”
