The St. Pius X Girls Varsity Tennis Team has a stronger than ever connection between the players. With senior leaders and endless hours of time spent together, the team considers each other to be family.
“We are always laughing because we are all such good friends. Everyone on our team is so funny,” said senior Sasha Johnson.
This connection started prior to the season, when the team met at Chick-fil-A for dinner every week for a few months. Once the season started, they kept up the tradition with dinners after matches.
“No matter how the match went, the dinners are always fun. Every opportunity to be together is a blast,” said senior Izzy Schnieder.
In addition to team dinners, a few times a season, the girls get together for a sleepover to play board games, watch movies, and talk to each other.
“It definitely helps them to support each other. It helps when you put two people together for doubles because of their friendship,” said Coach Jennifer Polzin.
The team consists of five seniors, one junior, one sophomore, and one freshman. However, the grade difference is not a connection barrier for the girls.
“This is a really, really great group of girls and a very close group of girls. It’s amazing how we only took one extra girl this year, and she’s just really blending in,” said Coach Polzin.
The team practices once a week on Wednesdays at Hudlow Tennis Center where seniors help coach their teammates in technique so they can be the best team possible. They also assist underclassmen in areas off of the court and set an example of leadership for the younger girls.
“We don’t have that many [underclassmen], but I think for us, it’s just helping them understand their place on the team … and just helping them, like, not even at tennis but if they need schoolwork of help like that, we’re so close,” said Johnson.
Junior Sophia Lehwald added,“They also show us how a team really works when it comes to supporting everybody.”
This past weekend, March 13-14, the team traveled to La Grange, Georgia for an overnight tournament. Although they dropped two of their three matches, Mrs. Polzin said it was a still a perfect opportunity for even more team bonding.
“I almost wish it was a sooner tournament so that they had that time to get them bonded even closer,” said Coach Polzin, “but this year, I mean, I don’t know that they can bond anymore. They’re so close.”
