Photo by Julie Roberts
You play tennis? Where do you guys even practice? These are two of the questions commonly asked to the varsity girls tennis team, a team often overlooked around the Lick- Wilmerding community.
However, this year for the first time in varsity girls history, the girls won both the league championships and the playoffs, a feat that has put them on the wall, and in the trophy case, of champions.
The girls varsity tennis team breezed through the league games, with only a close call against University, where the score was (4-1). Without getting overconfident, the Lick girls went into the playoffs with incomparable energy. Playing Marin Academy in the semi finals, the girls won (5-2). They were finally given their rightful spot in the playoffs, against University’s Red Devils themselves; the match would go down in history. The Lick team had been preparing for this match all season.
Leaving early from school to board their bus to Marin, the girls prepared for the match of their lives. First on the court was Catherine Peabody ’16 at two singles, Tanima Joshi ’17 at three singles, Glenna Roberts ’14 and Clarissa Fung ’15 at two doubles, and finally Joelle Park ’15 and Jane Liu at three doubles. First off of the court was Tanima, with a beautiful win (6- 0, 6-1); Glenna and Clarissa fought to the finish, and ended up winning (6-4, 6-3). Joelle and Jane ended up losing in a tight match at (6-3, 6-1). With Catherine still holding her own in a heavy battle against University’s number two seed, Isa Canlas at one singles, Lupe Jacobson ’14 and Julia Pollack ’15 at one doubles, and Yassi Roberts ’15 at four singles began their matches on the courts previously being used.
With two wins and one loss, Lick-Wilmerding needed just two more wins to take the throne. Catherine won the first set (6-4) in a little under an hour; the points lasted for what seemed like minutes. With the majority of the fans watching her court, the second set came to a jaw dropping finish, Catherine winning (6-4, 6-4). Lick-Wilmerding needed just one more match to win the title. Lupe and Julia won the first set easily, (6-1), but the second set continued to grow closer and closer, tied at (3-3) Lick-Wilmerding take the rest of the game, the fans rushed the field, and Lick-Wilmerding had won the championship! Although Isa and Yassi end up losing in matches that come down to close calls, Lick goes home with a beautiful trophy.
Catherine Peabody ends up beating University’s number one seed, earning herself a place in NCS individuals, along with Julia and Lupe. Although Lick tennis lost in the first round of NCS, this season has allowed them, with skill and passion, to establish themselves as serious competitors in a serious sport.
