Carlmont’s varsity boys tennis team lost to the Aragon Dons 7-0 at Carlmont High School on Tuesday, March 19. The Scots fought hard against the skilled Aragon team but were outplayed in most games.
“Our team is special because no matter what, we give it our all. The goal is to have fun and play together as a team,” said sophomore singles player Aaroha Save.
The first match to wrap up was a doubles match with two Carlmont freshmen, Ayaan Omer and Roen Subba. They started the game strong, serving well and communicating effectively. However, the Dons took the lead and beat the Scots 6-0 in both the first and second sets.
Although they did not win, Omer and Subba maintained positive attitudes and will work harder to win their next game. Omer believes they could have performed at a higher level.
“We attacked the opponent’s weaknesses, but that wasn’t enough. We have to work on hitting the ball down the line and varying shot selection. Overall, we’ll put this one behind us and move on,” Omer said.
Senior Nathan Bence and junior Nico Cruz finished their doubles match moments later, winning the first set. The Dons eventually beat the Scots by winning the final two sets 6-4 and 10-5 in the tiebreaker.
Despite the overall match score, the Scots supported each other and cheered on senior Jayden Chow in the final match. Chow lost a close game with a score of 12-10 in a final set tiebreaker. Both players were tired and glad when the game ended but congratulated each other.
Following their loss, Scots head coach Marcus Beltramo will do a team breakdown and push the boys to work harder and harder each day in practice. With little time between matches, the Scots must maximize practice time to prepare effectively for their next opponent.
“We will work on some specific doubles strategies and consistency drills, and all of the guys will individually reflect on their matches,” Beltramo said.
The Scots were disappointed with their performance but understand that improvements are needed to be more successful. With an overall record of 3-3, the team hopes to win their next game to have more wins than losses this season.
“What creates a great team is positivity, constructive criticism, and competitiveness. Our group of boys has all three qualities, and we must help each other get better,” Beltramo said.
