This past year, the CHS girls tennis team had a triumphant season, both on and off the court. They bonded with each other and as a result, they were able to make a lot of great memories.

“The top 3 varsity players of this season were freshman Meg Ulrich, sophomore Olivia Gorak-Lacquement, and senior Cara Eschenmann,” said Seng Pham, the head coach of the team.

Pham added, “1 doubles were seniors Kaleigh Balcavage and Harriet Rankin and the 2 doubles were sophomores Julia Martin and Allison Greer. Meg Ulrich along with [Eschenmann] advanced to District Doubles, as well.”

This year had several highlights for all involved.

“I beat a girl badly who beat me the year before,” said Lacquement, a sophomore on the varsity tennis team. “I also found out at the end of the season that I had a 13-2 record. I definitely would like to improve on my record and be number 1 next year. For the team, I hope that we go to team districts again next year.”

The year was not without its ups and downs.

“[Rankin] got injured and freshman Jess Morrow, along with junior Erin Kennaly, took turns teaming up with [Balcavage], in order to continue the game,” said Pham.

Despite the fact that there was an injury on the team, the girls stayed determined for the whole season.

“This was the first time in 9 years that we made it to team districts. We also made it to districts for our doubles team,” said Eschenmann, a senior on the varsity tennis team. “It was really exciting for me as a senior to be able to experience team districts, because I had never done that before.”

Both Eschenmann and Pham seemed very proud of all the effort that the team had put into making their season a successful one.

“The overall record for the girls was 11-4 and their division record was 4-2. Their best win was against State College, beating the opponents with 3-2,” said Pham.

State College was one of the most proudest moments for the team as a whole. They saw this as one achievement during the season.

“The team worked hard and accomplished a lot,” said Pham. “The leadership and role model of our seniors will be missed.”

“I hope our younger players have learned from our veterans leadership and be able to carry the successful season to next year,” added Pham.

The hard work of the girls has not gone unnoticed. They put so much hard work and dedication into having a good season and as a result, they were able to accomplish goals that they had set for themselves at the beginning of the season.

“I feel very fortunate to have players who know the team expectation/team philosophy and as a result the team runs fairly smooth,” said Pham. “I am also very blessed to have tennis players who work off season to master their skills and supportive parents.”

The team dynamic will likely transition somewhat next year.

“There were 6 seniors on the team out of 23 girls that will be graduating this year,” said Eschenmann. “They have left a huge impact on not just the team, but the coaches as well. Their hard work and dedication will always be remembered.”