Photo credit: Ms. Cabana

 This year’s girls’ Varsity tennis team currently holds a record of 5-2 thus far. The team hopes to win the conference title and advance to States.

    The team is coached by CCHS English teacher Ms. Jo Cabana and captained by Junior veterans Megan Leonard and Rachel Marthinsen. As a team captains, Marthinsen and Leonard direct the team in warmups and take up leadership roles during practices and matches. Marthinsen and Leonard also compete in doubles matches together. Catie Nelson and Lizzie Fiepke combine for one doubles pair and Carly Barhorst and Logan Stuckey make up another.

    The team comprises one senior, two juniors, four sophomores, and one freshman. Despite this diversity, the team gels together well. In their coach’s opinion, the camaraderie on the tight-knit team is definitely one of its strengths. Leonard said, “We are each other’s biggest supporters. We all have a desire for each other to win.”

    The team has fallen to Cardinal Gibbons, the 3A reigning state champions, and Country Day, the previous private school state champions, in very close matches. They have yet to face their toughest conference competitions: Ardrey Kell and Providence. As for out-of-conference competitors, Cardinal Gibbons and Myers Park ride the top of the list. Myers Park has defeated Charlotte Catholic the past two years in State Semi-Finals, but the Cougars hope to find victory this year.

    In Coach Cabana’s opinion, another strength this season is cougar pride. “Cougar pride is an intangible feeling. The girls know that they’re representing Charlotte Catholic and they’re proud to wear their uniforms.” The girls understand that they represent the Charlotte Catholic girls’ tennis program on and off the court.

    Coach Cabana said, “Our goal is the same every season; it’s to win the next match. Longer term, we would love to win the conference and see how far that takes us. Ideally, we would like to be back at the State tournament.”

In the past couple weeks, two matches have been rained out, but the team will compete in a tournament this weekend at Country Day. Junior Captain Rachel Marthinsen said, “Every match, we’re getting better, and so I’m excited for this season to continue on because we’re just getting stronger.”