The RBHS Girls’ Tennis Team competed with the Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School (MICDS) and Fayetteville in the Columbia Duals on Friday, Sept. 8.
With a close 5-4 win against MICDS and a clean 8-1 finish against Fayetteville, the two victories marked the team’s third and fourth wins of the week. The first dual against MICDS was an intense matchup, as the Bruins were put at a disadvantage after losing two out of three doubles matches. With RBHS missing the benefit of a lead, the pressure came down to the singles matches to bring the dual win.
After RBHS lost two of the singles matches and won three, the team score evened out 4-4. The outcome of the dual then relied solely on the No. 3 singles, which was headed towards a third set tiebreaker.
Junior Prathy Premkumar, who served as the clinch player at No. 3, said that she had to put her negative thoughts aside and focus on what she could do point-by-point.
“I realized I had to adapt to the playing style of my opponent,” Premkumar said. “[I needed to] change something in my game in order to start getting games.”
Initially down 1-4 in the first set, Premkumar lost 4-6 and came back to win the second set 7-5. After a powerful battle in the tiebreaker, she achieved another comeback with a score of 10-6, simultaneously winning the dual for RBHS.
“I also had an internal determination because MICDS is historically one of our biggest rivals,” Premkumar said. “This was our first time beating them in my years at [RBHS], and truly one of the most rewarding and gratifying experiences ever.”
Unlike the intensity of the first dual, the border fight between RBHS and Fayetteville (Arkansas) was a clean sweep for the Bruins. After gaining a 2-1 lead from wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles, RBHS went on to win all six singles matches and ended the dual 8-1.
Head tennis coach Ben Loeb said that the team has most improved in their singles play and mental toughness since the beginning of the season. Loeb said the team still needs to improve on their overall doubles play, a weakness common with most teams.
“We lacked depth in our doubles lineup at the beginning of the season,” Loeb said, “but it’s getting better.”
Premkumar partnered with junior Amali Noel Ramesh at No. 2 doubles in the MICDS dual and lost 6-8. She said she should have been more aggressive in her doubles play.
“Amali and I had a good start to the match, but when it got to 6-6 I think I could have placed the ball more effectively,” Premkumar said. “Overall, the match was a really good learning experience, and I hope to continue on improving my doubles skills for upcoming duals.”
The two dual wins are a motivator for the ongoing season, in which RBHS will host individual districts on Sept. 30. Moving forward, the team hopes to strengthen their unity and maintain a strong bond, a key component of their athletic success.
“Ultimately, it would be good to win our 25th consecutive district championship,” Loeb said. “[It would also be] a great accomplishment to win the team sectional against a tough team to get back to the Final Four. A top three finish at team state would be worthy of a full blown street party with loud music.”
Are you planning to attend tennis individual districts at RBHS starting Sept. 30? If so, leave a comment below.
