Riding on the season’s earlier successes, the varsity tennis team is high on expectations for the rest of the year. Following the departure of its number two seed Andres Corredor, who graduated and is now attending Baylor University, a sort of rebuilding process needed to occur, which is something high school sports teams deal with every year. However, with numerous returning varsity players including Corredor’s former doubles partner senior Maximo Agoglia, the squad is working hard to maintain its past accomplishments.
With this in mind, head tennis Coach Colin Harvey uses repetition and drills to train his players for the season.
“They hit a certain shot over and over again to improve their playing abilities,” Coach Harvey said.
The team played in College Station on Jan. 14. Varsity captain and senior Maximo Agoglia earned first place in boy’s singles. Paloma Alatorre earned first place in girl’s singles, while Valentina Martinez came in second.
“To train with intensity is the key asset to improving,” Agoglia said. “If you really focus on the stroke you are working on, it will improve much quicker.”
Junior Sebastian Guio credits his coaches for helping him and the other varsity players improve their strengths and weaknesses.
“Our coaches help us during practice by giving us drills to improve our techniques and endurance work outs to improve our game and match strategies,” Guio said. “This includes service drills, sprints, suicides, etc.”
“Our coaches help us during practice by giving us drills to improve our techniques and endurance work outs to improve our game and match strategies,” Guio said. “This includes service drills, sprints, suicides, etc.”
Guio believes that the camaraderie that the team has helps the new varsity players succeed in tournaments and matches.
“We are all one big tennis family and every player has been happily adapting to the practices and routines to make a part of the group,” Guio said.
“We are all one big tennis family and every player has been happily adapting to the practices and routines to make a part of the group,” Guio said.
Agoglia has enjoyed the presence of the new players in the varsity team.
“The new varsity players have been having a blast joining the team this year. We all get along really well and have, over the last few months, built a strong chemistry,” Agoglia said. “Having these teammates by our side push us to do better.”
The team is preparing for strenuous practices to advance them to district championships and state, but according to Guio, they have yet to beat their rivals, Taylor and Seven Lakes. During the individual play season, Agoglia looks towards the Kemah, Humble and Katy events.
“We have a strong team,” Agoglia said. “I believe all my teammates will be successful this season as a result of their hard work.”
