On Tuesday, the LHS Boys Varsity Tennis team went up against the Standley Lake Gators here at LHS. With several injuries, key players were not able to participate in their matches, including freshman Singles 1 player Nathan Howe and junior Singles 2 player Enzo Balderrama. Despite the absence of these players, along with two lightning delays, LHS dominated and had a 7-0 sweep. All of the matches were won!
Junior Nikhil Bagal was prepared to step up and play Singles 1 in place of Howe, but fortunately he got to stay in his rank as Singles 3. His powerful performance led him to win the first set, and after the lightning delays he clinched the match with his second set victory. Bagal was focusing on placement in his match, and he hadn’t actually expected to play due to the limited players on Standley Lake. “It’s tough to see some of the guys hurt, but they are always cheering us on, which is really amazing,” said Bagal.
Bagal is really looking forward to Regionals, and he has high hopes for the rest of the season. Full interview video linked below.
Due to the changing of lines, Juniors Nathan Roybal and Kaden McPherson stepped up and played Doubles 1, and they were highly successful in their match! Their match was also won in the first two sets, and the teamwork between the two players was very strong and cohesive.
McPherson has been on Varsity tennis all three years, and he is usually on Doubles 2 when people aren’t injured. Like Bagal, he is looking forward to Regionals and then advancing from there.
“I have a good partner this year,” said McPherson, “I hope to make it to State!”
The Lions showed up to compete, and their results were extremely impressive. The next home varsity tennis matches are next Tuesday, September 15th at the tennis courts.
