At the boys tennis district tournament on May 22-23, seniors Alex Machtay and Griffin Celleghin placed first. Senior Kaustav Malik and junior Barak Spector placed fourth in doubles.

The four captains will compete at the state tournament in Columbus on May 29-30.

The team had to rebuild after losing three seniors last season, but still managed an 11-6 record, which pleased coach David Cole.

“[The record is] a bit deceiving, because of the schedule we play,” Cole said. “We did not lose to a Division II public school, so the only losses we had this year were to Division I schools that are much bigger than us, [as well as] private schools.”

Although the team as a whole did not qualify to compete in the state tournament, the captains are focused on strengthening and training the team.

This year’s starting lineup, which has seven spots, featured three freshmen.

“[The freshmen] were singles players,” Cole said. “Doubles is a much different game than singles, so it was very challenging to educate them, in terms of … how to play doubles at the varsity level with the schedule we have.”

The loss of depth in the team may have been a setback, but Machtay is pleased with what they’ve been able to achieve.

“We lost a few matches, but I think they were good losses,” he explained. “I think our team improved throughout [the season].”

Spector explained some of the sport’s intricacies.

“Tennis is a very mechanical sport, so it’s not just pure athleticism,” Spector said. “It’s a lot of technique you have to work on, a lot of muscle memory.”

Regular practice is necessary to success, especially during the off-season.

“Even when we don’t have a match or a practice scheduled, a pair or all four of us captains will go out and hit,” Machtay added.

Every match allows for learning opportunities, Machtay explained.

“[I played best at] matches where I felt I had something to prove,” Machtay said. “People might [describe] it as ‘pressure’, but I would say it’s the sort of thing that makes you want to do better.”

This year, three more seniors are graduating, which means more focus on training younger members.

“[In two years,] we’ll lose six seniors out of a lineup that only features seven people, so we’re going to be very young next year,” Cole said. “We have a lot of work to do this winter to get the kids ready for the season next year. It’s a very important off-season.”

Helping underclassmen prepare for varsity is one of the challenges that captains face.

“This year, it’s been about leading the team, helping everything function well,” Machtay said. “Next year, since [the senior captains will be gone], we want to get a lot more players to get into the program and start playing year-round, so next year they’ll be able to help.”

Malik reminisced about his time with the sport.

“I’m glad that I played tennis all four years of high school because it taught me to have a strong mental mindset to push through difficulties,” Malik wrote in an email. “One of the hardest things to do in tennis is to come back from behind in a match.”

Machtay shared similar sentiments.

“Maybe it does make you feel a little bit nervous, but it’s when you really feel the need to do well, and you really want to win, that you play your best and you improve a lot. That’s a really rewarding feeling.”