As the fall sports season comes to a close, Wakefield women’s tennis team is finishing up their season strong. With a record of 7-6 and a conference record of 6-4, the Lady Wolverines have a lot to be proud of.
Much of their success comes from the tight-knit and hardworking nature of the team. For senior Rylee White, the team camaraderie has played a large role in shaping her season.
“If I’m too scared to go out and play singles, [my teammates] are always there to be like, ‘you got this,’” White said. “That has a huge impact on how I play.”
A major role in establishing this positive environment is the support from the captains: seniors Autumn Battle and Sophie Hanna. Together, they work hard to help out the new players and do what they can to make others feel confident going into matches.
“I try to build connections with the people I play with, and I always tell them to keep a positive mindset when they play,” Battle said.
With nine seniors graduating last year, this season brought on an unusually young team with many underclassmen and new players. Sophomore Camryn Ledwith is one of these new players, and believes that this did not stop them from having a fun and successful season.
“We really worked well leadership-wise because we had a lot of new girls, and I think the seniors were really welcoming to a lot of freshmen,” Ledwith said.
However, several matches this year brought some difficulties. After losing to some strong competition, the team had to learn how to bounce back even stronger later on.
“[The most challenging part of the season was] playing our toughest opponent, either Heritage or Millbrook,” Battle said. “After getting destroyed 0-8, rebuilding our confidence after that was tough.”
Despite these challenges, the girls are proud of how far they have come this season. They have overcome setbacks and motivated each other all throughout the season, and they did it all as a team.
“[The hardest part of the game] is putting yourself out there,” White said. “Despite all the nerves you feel, especially the first match that you play, you just have to put it all to the side and do it for your team.”
All in all, the team is proud of how far they have come this year, not just in the sport of tennis but also in the friendships they have made along the way.
“[All the girls are] all really supportive of each other,” Ledwith said. “Even though it is kind of an individual sport in some aspects, it still feels like a team.”
The team hopes to bring this attitude along with them to next year’s season and beyond. With another successful season in the books, the girls have nothing but high hopes for the future.
“This team has continued to prove itself over and over again this year,” Hanna said. “Our team was doubted, and as of right now we are in a position to make it to states.”
