Girls varsity tennis made CHS history, placing second in the CIF Division II Team Championship. For the final match, the girls faced the Woodbridge Warriors at the Claremont Club. The teams had tied on sets at 9-9 with the tiebreaker determined by the won games. In a narrow finish the Warriors edged the Wolfpack, 82-80.

Throughout the season, every girl played a role on and off the court, whether it be supporting another teammate or putting in all effort. Caren Uribe is a junior who has been playing tennis for six years. She along with three others will be advancing from the Palomares League to the CIF Individual Tournament. Uribe described the pressure that the team felt during finals and how they responded to it.

“As we progressed through the rounds we definitely felt pressure, not from the audience but from ourselves because we wanted to get really far,” Uribe said. “But we knew to try our best because the score in the end didn’t matter to us as long as we put everything out onto the court.”

The team provided constant support for one another whether it was during practice or games. Team captain, senior, Camille Movafagian and their coach, Kathy Settles played significant roles in guiding the team. Sophomore Elizabeth Gonzalez has been on the team for two years. She shared how the girls uplifted and motivated one another.

“We had a bunch of encouraging words from our coach and senior captain and throughout the match we constantly lifted each other up, on and off the court,” Gonzalez said. “During changeovers or in between rounds, you could always hear girls cheering each other on, saying stuff like, ‘awesome point,’ or ‘don’t worry you’ll get it next time.’”

The girls reacted to the runner-up prize after an intense final with, strong, yet mixed emotions as the moment was bittersweet. They were proud to have come so far, but anguished by the close loss.

“I was really emotional,” Uribe said. “It was really upsetting because we were so close but we tried our best and that’s what counts. I’m still happy that we made it to the finals.”

In the end it was their teamwork that kept the girls glued together and focused during finals. Despite the frustration the girls felt from the closing result, the reward at the end of the season were the memories and the strong team bond that they created.

“I’m so grateful for everyone on the team and for this last season, and even though it definitely didn’t end the way we wanted to, we still have each other,” Gonzalez said. “The bonds and memories we made will last forever. It’s not the end, but only the beginning of working harder to prepare for the next year.”

Not only did the girls make CHS history, but they also created greater bonds and lifelong memories together to be cherished. Their own individual efforts and support of one another gave them the confidence to prevail.