After losing eight seniors last year, Michael McLaughlin, the tennis coach and entrepreneurship teacher, wasn’t sure how this year would go. However, after gaining a couple of ninth graders last year, Coach McLaughlin knew this year would have a great turnout.
After the team had advanced to bi-district the last few years, McLaughlin hoped to make it as far as they could this year. Despite disappointment over being unable to get past the first game for the last four years, the team was happy to have made it to the first round.
Senior Nadia Tissembaum has been playing tennis for a little over two years. Tissembaum prepared for bi-district, which took place on Oct. 6, by practicing with her club team and her teammate, Elsie Smith, at McCallum for the two and a half weeks prior to bi-district.
In order to advance to the next round, the Knights needed to have more match wins than their opponent out of the matches played.
Tissembaum was entered in both a singles and doubles team going into bi-district and was ready to take on a new challenge with Smith.
“I was feeling very excited,” Tissembaum said. “I was excited to play again with the team and knowing we had a chance.”
After beating Crockett 10-1 in district play, the team advanced in the tournament to play Anderson, whom they lost to, as well as Bastrop, which ended in a loss after two players didn’t show up. As a result, they had to forfeit three games, ending in an 8-10 loss.
Even though the Knights lost to Bastrop, they were still able to advance to bi-district by being in the top four teams of the district. The knights then lost to the Georgetown Eagles and were knocked out after the first round of playoffs, ending their season on a loss.
Each player had goals for themselves and the team that they reached to fulfill throughout the match.
“My goal was to play my best,” Tissembaum said. “I didn’t care if we won or lost, I just wanted to walk away from the tournament feeling like we tried our best.”
Also attending the bi-district match, sophomore varsity player Canaan Williams, echoes Tissembaum’s mindset.
Williams said. “I didn’t really have any goals, I just wanted to have a good time.”
Williams has been playing tennis seriously for more than two years now, and has grown to enjoy the sport, planning on continuing to play throughout his high school career, and outside of school, to continue his love for the sport.
Preparing for their first match, McCallum was headed to play Georgetown, who are ranked fourth in 5A Region III. Williams felt prepared and was ready to take on the next challenge. Williams, however, was not aware of their competitors’ skill level.
“I was feeling confident, but I didn’t know how good Georgetown was,” Williams said. “In doubles, we lost badly 1-6, 0-6, but in my singles, it was 4-6, 2-2 because we didn’t get to finish. Georgetown won 10-0.”
Although they didn’t win, McLaughlin was very proud of the team for making it that far after having almost a whole new group of athletes.
In his fourth year coaching at McCallum, McLaughlin played tennis in his junior and senior years of high school, and he has really enjoyed coaching the McCallum team.
“ ” McLaughlin said.
Tissembaum shares this common view from a student’s perspective of getting to hang out with her friends in a different environment while playing the sport she loves.
“My favorite part about the tennis team is how well we know each other. It’s not just playing with teammates, it feels like playing with friends,” Tissembaum said.
Despite the tennis team being unable to pass bi-district this year, they hope to continue their streak of making it to bi-district next year and surpass their record and advance to play past the first round of playoffs.