A Perfect Match
On Sept. 1, the junior varsity (JV) girls tennis team competed at the Beckman International Tournament, winning four out of five rounds and ultimately tying for first place. The tournament is located at Portola High School in Irvine, California and primarily consists of teams from Orange County; however, other local schools can compete if invited by the tournament’s director. After the varsity girls tennis team won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) tournament in 2020, both the varsity and JV team were invited to play this year, making this the first year Peninsula has received an invite. Typically, this tournament only hosts varsity teams to optimize the competition, however the Peninsula tennis program holistically became more desirable to the tournament director due to varsity’s CIF win. Even competing against varsity teams, the JV team managed to pull off their win and junior Allison Dzida felt happy to be a part of this accomplishment.
“It was very daunting going into the competition knowing we would be the only JV team there,” Dzida said. “Despite being the underdogs, we set goals to win more this season and that is what we did at the [the Beckman International Tournament]. It is so exciting and I cannot wait to see what is next for the team.”
Unlike other tournaments, the Beckman International Tournament featured more double sets (doubles), where teams of two play against each other during a match. The team has dedicated most of their practices so far to doubles, not only to prepare for tournaments like the Beckman International Tournament, but to also have an interactive way for the girls to bond while training simultaneously. Team Captain, Grace Kim emphasizes the importance of bonding during practice in order to succeed in tournaments.
“[The Beckman International Tournament] is a great example as to why we work so closely and so hard with each other during practices,” Kim said. “The amount of [doubles] in the tournament was unexpected, but we were prepared anyway and [ultimately] ended up winning”
Whether it is playing with each teammate during practice, to working on doubles with each other, the team prioritizes inclusivity and building connections among the girls of all grades. Not only has this helped the entire team win more matches, but it can help to ensure that the underclassman will feel welcomed on the team and more confident on the courts. JV girls tennis coach, Barbara Dewitt, is proud of the outcome from the tournament and is looking forward to the rest of the year.
“Coming off of the varsity’s successful season last year, I really wanted my girls to continue this streak and reach that level,” Dewitt said “[The Beckman international Tournament] hosted the very first games and wins of the season so it was a fantastic way to kickstart the year for [the team].”
