Junior Ian Greenwood hits a volley at the net. Boys’ tennis finished their regular season with an 8-4 record.

Boys’ tennis concluded their regular season on April 30 with a 7-0 loss to Whitman. They finished their season as Division II champions with an 8-4 record.

Overall the team performed well this year. They improved their record from last season, but according to coach Mitchell Duque, the team still has room for improvement.

“I would like our players to take better advantage of opportunities they create within their matches,” Duque said. “They’ve had chances to finish off points but weren’t able to execute in the moment.”

From the beginning of the season, players have been working on adjusting their style of play to fit doubles matches. Junior Ian Greenwood believes one of the most critical shots to perfect in doubles are volleys at the net.

“For doubles, we need to work on our volleys, volleys are very important because it allows us to end points quickly,” Greenwood said.

It has been difficult for the team to work through these challenges due to the unfavorable weather recently. The team has not been able to have a consistent practice schedule and it has been hard to make practices worthwhile due to wind.

“When we have had practices, the wind has been gusting and makes for a difficult time to accurately work on skills,” Duque said.

The team is going into the postseason soon, and they need to focus on their weaknesses, but also on maintaining their numerous strengths.

Towards the beginning of the season, Duque wanted players to persevere through matches and continue to give it their all until the end. Now he notes that many players have taken this to heart and implemented the change.

“They should continue to battle through the matches regardless of the score,” Duque said. “This is an aspect I’ve been proud of during the year and expect to continue.”

Additionally, many players have had stellar performances this season, but #4 singles freshman Joseph Toukabri has been a stand out player on tennis as he achieved a 7-3 record this year.

Even though individual player performance is important, team chemistry is also been an significant factor. Freshman David Gardner has gotten much closer to his teammates throughout the past few months, which has benefited the team.

“We have become pretty good friends and all feel comfortable on the team,” Gardner said.

On the other hand, junior Ian Greenwood believes that while the team does have some good chemistry, it’s not as strong as it should be.

“The team should work on learning how to be a better teammate,” Greenwood said. “Since tennis is a very individual sport, learning to cheer and help out your fellow teammates is sometimes a struggle.”

Only time will tell if boys’ tennis will carry their regular season success into the postseason and polish up their weaker areas.