by Lane Maguire

Despite winning three singles matches and one doubles match, the varsity tennis team lost 5-4 to Park Hill High School Oct. 2 in the second round of the District tournament failing to advance to the Sectional match. STA (9-3) was seeded first going into the District match; Park Hill (7-9) was seeded fourth. With this record, team members agreed that the match was an unexpected loss.

“I feel like it was almost bad luck that we even looked at their records because we were underestimating every team,” junior Grace Wells said. “No one’s record was as strong as ours and I thought we would get to State. I didn’t think we would even have a problem in Districts.”

After beating STA, Park Hill played against Park Hill South (12-1) Oct. 3 in the final round of Districts, losing 6-0 and failing to advance to Sectionals. STA lost to Park Hill in the finals of Sectionals last year by one match. This year, however, the team believed that Notre Dame de Sion (7-4) would be their toughest competition in the finals of Sectionals, according the Wells. Sion, ranked first in a separate District tournament match, advanced to Sectionals. STA beat Sion twice earlier this season. STA’s one match against Park Hill this season was cancelled due to rain.

With a number one seeding in the District tournament and a 9-3 record, junior Kathleen Connor agrees with Wells in that the she believes the team underestimated the other teams in the District. The loss, for her, came as a surprise.

“None of us had much of a reaction we were completely shocked and did not know how to react,” Connor said. “It was very unreal and it all happened so fast. Our coach was speechless and very sad for us.”

Wells attributes the District loss to Park Hill’s consistency in their singles matches and overall improvement. The team hoped to end the game in five matches, but ended up playing all nine, according to Wells. Wells, who lost both of her matches, was upset at the team’s loss.

“I was kind of in shock at first and I was watching the last doubles match and I went away and sat by myself because I was just really upset and it didn’t really hit me until I got in the car and then I just started crying because you just feel like you could’ve done so much better,” Wells said.

According to varsity assistant tennis coach Janice Stanton, Park Hill played better than their record would have suggested.

“I would say Park Hill was playing out of their minds,” Redlingshafer said.

The varsity competed to qualify for Sectionals individually Oct. 6. At the Districts Individual tennis match, two teams of doubles and two teams of singles competed. STA’s two doubles team qualified for Sectionals. The team of Wells and sophomore Hannah Bredar placed first. The team of Connor senior Mickey Redlingshafer placed second. They competed at the Sectionals Individuals match Oct. 9. Neither team advanced to State.

According to both Wells and Connor, the team’s goal for next year is to advance to the State match as a team.

“I definitely learned to appreciate my team more because our season ended so early this year,” Connor said.