[ot-caption title=”(From left to right) Junior Amanda Rabin, Freshman Demi Snyder, and Junior Carly Feldman smiling after a strong win against Westminster. (via Elizabeth Gabrielle).”]

The PC Girls’ tennis team has picked up where they left off in their last season: winning…a lot.  Despite losing many seniors from last year’s squad, including three current collegiate athletes, the girls have started their season with five straight wins. With these exciting victories, the girls are off to a blazing season. They are looking to go all the way to Orlando in the post season for a chance at the state title that they won last spring of 2015. Three starters from last year’s team return to lead another campaign. Captains Stephanie Taylor (Jr.) and Dani Shecter (Sr.) are intricate parts of the program and are leading the team this season to hopefully another state championship.

Even though the program had three starters graduate last year, this year’s team is bursting with young talent. Freshman Demi Snyder and 7th-grader Sophia Marchetta head the wave that will be the future of PC girls tennis. In the past, the girls have formed a bond off the courts during school, bus rides to matches, and overnight tournaments that has played a positive role in the success on the courts. This togetherness has persevered into this season and has presented a series of W’s for the PC girls. Junior Carly Feldman states, “I’m super excited about our upcoming season! Everyone really came together as a team and we’re off to a great start!”  They plan on using this cohesiveness as the season gets down to it and the playoffs get closer.

Before the team can head to states though, they must defend both their district and regional titles. Coach Kasey Hamaway believes that the girls must work their absolute hardest to make it to states. The road back to Orlando is not going to be easy, and Coach Hamaway stated that a possible meeting with Gulliver in regionals could be a grueling matchup. Before any of this though, the girls’ team will play the remainder of their schedule that features some of the best teams in South Florida, including rivals American Heritage and University School. Several of these teams include previous state champions, so the girls will have to push themselves throughout their journey to states if they plan on achieving the ultimate goal.

The girls are really looking forward to hopefully defending their title, but first, they have to set their focus on the importance of each individual match.  Districts will take place March 29 through the 31st at Archbishop McCarthy with regionals to follow. Please go out and cheer on the PC Girls’ tennis team on their road to states!