With the team nearly doubling in size this season, the Cinnaminson High School girls’ tennis team finished with a record of 10-6 and secured a third place spot in the BSCL Division.
One reason for the team’s success was its explosion in numbers.
This season’s team had 37 girls, opposed to last year when 17 girls were on the team. Senior captain Grace Kennedy expressed her thoughts on the growth of the team.
“I like that the tennis team is growing and that more people know about the team,” Kennedy said. “I hope that continues.”
Head coach Jennifer Alvarado echoed Kennedy’s excitement about the team’s newest members.
“I love it because they want to try it and I have a lot of beginners who have never picked up a racket before,” Alvarado said. “And I ask the girls on the first day they come out – ‘What’s your goal for the season?’ I want them to either write it down or put it in their notes in their phone. Then at the end of the season, I want them to look at that goal and see if they met it. For some girls it’s even just getting the ball over the net and for other girls it’s winning five varsity matches.”
First-year varsity member Addison McMullen experienced a new form of tennis when filling in for 3rd singles in a recent match against Lindenwold. McMullen played a three-hour match and was one of the main reasons the team was able to pull off its 4-1 win. As a freshman McMullen said she is eager for the new experiences.
“I’m looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing different types of games,” McMullen said.
While the team has thrived in gaining new players, there have been some challenges along the way. Kennedy shares one obstacle the team has faced with the big wave of players.
“One challenge that we’ve faced is that we don’t have enough uniforms,” Kennedy said. “So we had to split the jersey colors into varsity and JV, so each person only has one jersey.”
Alvarado said another challenge this season was the weather. The continuous rainy weather and extreme heat brought numerous halts to the team’s practices and matches.
“Tennis is all about consistency. The excessive heat and rain has really disrupted all of the continuity of playing,” Alvarado said. “It’s really hard to get back up to that level that you were before the interruption. And some girls can just hop right back into it and some girls it takes them a while.”
Of the 37 players, the team will graduate 17 seniors, whose absences will be felt – and missed – next season.
“The big impact of losing those seniors – they’re role models for the younger students,” Alvarado said.
Kennedy said her experience on the team was about more than just winning matches.
“It’s bittersweet. I honestly started tennis to just play a sport, but I really love it now,” Kennedy said. “I’ve made a lot of friends, grown closer to some girls, and I’ve made a lot of good memories playing tennis.”
Coming off of a win in the BCSL JV Tournament on Oct 17, the tennis team secured a final victory against New Egypt on October 18th to end the season.
