The Live Oak High tennis team has its own way of looking at
success.
Morgan Hill – The Live Oak High tennis team has its own way of looking at success.
While the Acorns may not be racking up wins, the players are working hard, improving and most importantly, having fun.
“It’s been a lot of fun. When we practice, we practice hard. We do a lot of good drills,” senior No. 2 singles players Rachelle Abbey said. “Our shots are getting better. Even though we’re still playing really good girls, our mental game is improving. We’re able to focus more on not just hitting the ball, but placing it.”
Live Oak dropped a pair of matches to Oak Grove on Tuesday, falling 4-3 in the team’s regularly scheduled match and losing by the same score in a completion of an unfinished match with the Eagles from earlier this season.
Despite that, the girls are still enjoying themselves.
“We’re a fun team. There’s no doubt about that,” senior No. 1 singles player Shaila Patel said. “We’re the most talkative team.”
Abbey and Patel are both in their fourth year playing for the Acorns and are hoping to finish the season strong.
“The next three people I play are the hardest,” Patel said. “Hopefully, I’ll play them much better than I did the last time.”
Sophomore No. 4 singles player Kalea Cleeton won her sixth match of the season by outlasting her opponent in a 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (8-6) win.
“I’m just so tired. I didn’t know we’d go this far,” Cleeton said. “I thought I had it. We were just so consitent the whole time. We rallied at least 20 balls each time. I’m just tired, now I get to go home and do homework.”
Cleeton is one of the many younger players on the team that should be part of a bright future for Live Oak. No. 3 singles player Karissa Watanabe is a junior and the doubles squads feature three freshman and a sophomore.
Senior Arianna Hosseini and her sophomore sister Charissa Hosseini earned a 7-6, 6-0 win against Oak Grove. Charissa Hosseini is expected to step up and play singles next year.
Bernice LeBlanc and Mika Matsumoto make up Live Oak’s all-freshman No. 3 doubles team. They paired up to earn a 6-7, 6-2, 6-3 win on Tuesday.
Marie Lewis, who has teamed up with senior Matice McClellen this season, is another freshman that the Acorns hope to see do well in the coming seasons.
The blend of youth and experience is something coach Jennifer Yoder hopes will help Live Oak improve over the next few years and the younger players are seeing the benefit.
“They’ve helped me a lot,” Cleeton said of the team’s four seniors. “This is my second year playing and they’ve really helped us.”
