This last week, the girls tennis team had a busy week for the junior varsity hosted their first meet on September 1. The varsity team hosted their Invitational on September 3 later that week. This young team for both junior varsity and varsity has been working hard to prepare for the exciting and nerve wrecking week. With the loss of seven seniors last season the girls are in a rebuilding year but with the start of this season many not could recognize that.

The junior varsity team found themselves hosting a large meet with ten teams attending from all over the region. McPherson entered the junior varsity meet with a full lineup with six girls, all under the age of sophomores. The junior varsity team came out third overall as a team with Salina Center and Valley Center leading the way. A clean sweep of No. 2 singles, Ashley Achilles got a win for first place. Sophie Smith finished as fourth as No. 1 singles. On the doubles side of the tournament Madison Schmidt and Jessie Kynaston played with sixth place in No. 1 doubles. The No. 2 doubles for McPherson were Daphane Corrillo and Caitlin Frank who finished for ninth.

“I think overall, we all have a good connection with each other, and had been practicing all week, working hard to prepare for that day. So I think we came out ready to play,” said sophomore Madison Schmidt.

Last week the varsity girls served up their season starter at Hesston. The girls made their way to a second place finish as a team, right behind the tournament’s hosting team, Hesston. Despite the second place finish the girls team still is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, according to rankings by the Kansas Tennis Coaches Association.

“Something I learned and I am definitely taking away from this year and last is to always believe in myself and us together as a team,” said junior Rachel Ivers. “With losing seven seniors last year I don’t think any of us returning knew what was going to happen or even if we were going to have a full team. So there was a little doubt that I put on myself but from that first meet I learned to trust myself and be confident.”

The girls had a short week to rest up for the first out of two McPherson Invitationals. Teams that attended were Derby, Douglass, Goddard Eisenhower, Great Bend, Newton, Valley Center, and Wichita West that started at 3 p.m. here at the high school courts.

“Coming from the first meet, I think we just kind of learned where we are as a team and where we need to work even harder to make us better,” senior Cassidy Corrigan said. “For the McPherson Invite we went out everyday and put in an 100% and really pushed each other in practice to be the best we can. Whether we are ranked first in the class or last, we all help each other grow much stronger mentally. As a senior I think my main goal for all of us is to have fun and to the best we can at every tournament and hopefully get all six girls qualified for state.”

Not like in Hesston, the girls didn’t let anyone get in their way at McPherson and they finished first as a team with a whopping 73 points. The Bullpups, with Ellea Ediger winning the singles division, and Cassidy Corrigan and Maisie Edmonson winning the doubles division. Rachel Ivers ended in a fourth place finish in the singles division, having to forfeit her third-place match due to an injury. The doubles team of Heidi Myers and Shelby Gudenkauf rallied to take a ninth place finish.

The entire team will be looking forward to another excited this coming week with another junior varsity meet at home on September 8, and the varsity girls will be traveling to Salina Center this coming Saturday the 12th.