Waynesville Tennis celebrated their seniors with two victories Tuesday night against Hillcrest (8-1) and Parkview (9-0).  This is our first group of seniors to get two wins on their Senior Night.  Playing Hillcrest first, we stole three wins in doubles immediately.  Seniors Klementyna Cichocki and Chloe Trusty teamed up to take their first doubles win of the season.  These girls, both quiet in nature, have really stepped up to make a good team.  They’ve learned how to communicate well on the court.  They’ve also become so much more aggressive in the past couple matches.  They’ve come so far from when they first started playing tennis. 

Klementyna, my only 4-year player this year, has grown so much, not only in her game, but also as a leader of the team.  It’s been so cool to see her step into the senior position as a leader. She’s always one of the first to take charge when leading warm ups and drills during practice.  Once timid, this girl has grown to be a great model on the courts.

Chloe has also improved so much over the past 3 years.  Chloe has one of the most coachable attitudes that I’ve ever had the privilege to coach.  She’s always looking to improve, always listening for advice, and works so well with others.  Although quiet, I’ve never met a girl she hasn’t been able to connect with.  She has such a sweet spirit.  Watching her become a more aggressive player has been so cool to watch.  She’s learning how to play for blood, but still walks off of every court with a new friend.

Our other two seniors, Lacey Squires and Nessa Guzman-Slater, also took a victory tonight, 8-2.  These girls may not be on our Varsity squad this season, but they both bring so much to this team.  Lacey has such a fun personality.  She has so much spunk, which has allowed her to not only grow into an aggressive tennis player, but has also brought a lot of fun to our practices.  If I ever had to turn our practice music off to give instruction, then forgot to turn it back on, you better believe Lacey was the first to get it back on. 

Nessa has come so far since she first started with me 3 years ago.  Nessa loves this sport. But she loves her team even more.  And it shows.  Nessa is the most encouraging player on the team.  She never lets a girl get down on herself.  When she sees it starting to happen, she always finds a way to pick her teammate back up.  She’s very dedicated and is willing to do anything it takes to help her or her team improve.  This season, she knew she had picked up a bad habit with her strokes.  She was determined to fix it to the point of making herself do exercises each time until she broke the habit.  T

hese four girls are just a small picture of what my entire team looks like.  We may not have had the most successful season so far when it comes to wins and losses, but we’re growing and learning a lot.  Each girl contributes to the team.  Each girl plays a role. And together, they are family. 

Once beating Hillcrest, the Tigers jumped right back on the court to take on Parkview.  Winning on every court, Waynesville pulled out their third victory of the season 9-0, bringing their season record to 3-5.  The Tigers will travel to West Plains Thursday before competing in the Rolla Doubles Tournament on Saturday.

Hillcrest

Singles

Lauren DeMalade vs. Lundon Decker, 8-2

Klementyna Cichocki vs. Hailey McCartney, 8-2

Chloe Trusty vs. Tiana Gourdin, 8-0

Heather Emerson vs. Erica Hann, 8-1

Blaire Smith vs. Julie Vesterholt, 1-8

Tiffany Bell vs. Tatyana Greene, 8-1

Doubles

Cichocki/Trusty vs. Decker/McCartney, 8-1

DeMalade/Emerson vs. Gourdin/Vesterholt, 8-2

Smith/Bell vs. Hann/Greene, 8-2

Lacey Squires/Nessa Guzman-Slater, 6-2

Parkview

Singles

Lauren DeMalade vs. Caitlin Robinson, 8-3

Klementyna Cichocki vs. Hanna Grandon, 8-1

Chloe Trusty vs. Addison Hudson, 8-0

Heather Emerson vs. Kiara Cooper, 8-0

Blaire Smith vs. Brittney George, 8-2

Tiffany Bell vs. Chloe White, 8-0

Doubles

Cichocki/Trusty vs. Robinson/Grandon, 8-3

DeMalade/Emerson vs. Hudson/Cooper, 8-3

Smith/Bell vs. George/White, 8-0

Lacey Squires/Nessa Guzman-Slater, 6-0