The top 6 players for the Jesuit tennis team left last Thursday for the Texas Tennis Private School Championship in College Station. Jesuit, paired with Ursuline, went into the tournament as the fifth seed and throughout the two days, won three matchups and lost one.

Thursday

The team left at 12:45 p.m. on Thursday for College Station. Setting off on a three-hour drive from Jesuit to College Station, the team arrived at the hotel around 4 p.m. Some players got schoolwork done, while others took the time to sleep. Upon arriving, the team had plans of having a practice to familiarize themselves with the slightly different climate and atmosphere. However, it had recently rained, leaving the courts wet and unable to play on. Therefore, they had some time to relax in the hotel and get settled in before going to dinner. They met up with the Ursuline team at Olive Garden and enjoyed a nice dinner, fueling us for the upcoming strenuous days. This dinner was a great opportunity to get to know each other better, which was important considering that this tournament was a team event. After dinner, the teams retreated back to their hotel rooms, getting an early night’s sleep in anticipation of the following day.

Friday

Match 1 – Abilene Christian

At 8 a.m. on Friday, the Rangers and Bears kicked off their first match of the tournament against Abilene Christian High School. This match was a breeze for the Rangers and the Bears as in less than two hours, they defeated Abilene Christian with thirteen wins and zero losses. This strong start instilled confidence in the team going into the second round against Kinkaid, a much stronger team. Sophomore Luke Nettune offered the following take:

“I felt like all of our hard work as a team had really paid off and that we were playing really well.”

Results:

Singles:

Conor Cole (6-0, 6-0), Mathis Valenta (6-1, 6-2), Dillon Blanton (6-0, 6-0), Benjamin Woodard (6-1, 6-0), Erin Gan-Dy (6-0, 6-0), Coco Quinn (6-1, 6-0), AnnaGrace Shuford (6-1, 6-0), Sydney Robinson (6-3, 6-2)

Doubles:

Dillon Blanton and William Wayne (6-1, 6-0), Luke Nettune and Benjamin Woodard (6-1, 6-1), Tess Caracio and Reagan Montgomery (6-1, 6-2), Erin Gan-Dy and Coco Quinn (6-0, 6-1), Ashley Paredes and Mark Scucchi (6-0, 6-0)

Match 2 – The Kinkaid School

Following the earlier strong win against Abilene Christian, at 12:30 p.m., Jesuit and Ursuline began their match against the Kinkaid School. Kinkaid had just beaten John Paul II, making for a much more competitive match. This matchup proved to be highly contentious, with a thrilling 5-5 tie before Kinkaid ended up winning the last two matches. Watching from the sidelines, both teams supported the final two matches as much as they could. This made for an extremely competitive atmosphere, even stirring some banter between teams. Unfortunately, Jesuit and Ursuline ended up losing 5-7. Jesuit and Ursuline were disheartened, however the tournament was not over. Junior Connor Cole had an insight about the following match:

“Although we lost, we learned what we need to improve on and the steps we need to take in order to excel. It hurts to lose and we fought hard but we will grow and win it next time.”

Results:

Singles:

Conor Cole (6-2, 7-6 (6)), Mathis Valenta (6-3, 6-1), Dillon Blanton (7-6 (5), 6-7 (1) Ret. Inj.), Luke Nettune (6-2, 2-6, 4-10), Erin Gan-Dy (3-6, 4-6), Coco Quinn (2-6, 1-6), Tess Caracio (0-6, 3-6), Reagen Montgomery (1-6, 0-6)

Doubles:

Connor Cole and Mathis Valenta (6-1, 6-1), Dillon Blanton and William Wayne (6-2, 7-6 (6)), Tess Caracio and Reagen Montgomery (1-6, 2-6), Erin Gan-Dy and Coco Quinn (6-3, 6-2), Benjamin Woodard and Sydney Robinson (0-6, 1-6)

Saturday

Match 3 – Christian Cornerstone

Going into the second and final day of the tournament rather demoralized, the Rangers and Bears didn’t have much to lose. Despite the disheartening loss against Kinkaid, they decided to look past it and move onto the next one. With this new approach, the Rangers and Bears glided through Cornerstone, winning eight out of the eight matches. This win, a strong bounce back from the previous loss against Kinkaid, rekindled their drive to win.

Results:

Singles:

Connor Cole (6-0, 6-0), Mathis Valenta (6-0, 6-0), Coco Quinn (6-1, 6-1), Erin Gan-Dy (5-1, [incomplete]), Tess Caracio (5-2, [incomplete])

Doubles:

Dillon Blanton and William Wayne (6-1, 6-3), Luke Nettune and Benjamin Woodard (6-1, 6-3), Tess Caracio and Reagen Montgomery (3-6, 6-3, 10-8), Erin Gan-Dy and Coco Quinn (6-0, 6-0), Mark Scucchi and AnnaGrace Shuford (6-0, 6-0)

Match 4 – Grace Community High School

In the last match of the tournament, Jesuit and Ursuline faced Grace Community High School. At this point, all players had found a comfortable rhythm. Losing only one match, the Rangers and Bears finished strong, going eight and one. This match was by far the hottest, as players were playing in temperatures in the low nineties. The new addition of “lift” in the tennis curriculum really proved its benefits in this matchup, as opponents struggled much more than we did. This superiority in fitness may have ultimately been the winning factor for the Jesuit/Ursuline duo.

Results:

Singles:

Connor Cole (6-0, 0-1 [incomplete]), Mathis Valenta (6-1, 6-0), William Wayne (6-1, 6-1), AnnaGrace Shuford (6-4, 6-3), Sydney Robinson (7-6 (6), 6-0)

Doubles:

Dillon Blanton and William Wayne (6-1, 6-2), Luke Nettune and Benjamin Woodard (6-1, 6-3), Tess Caracio and Reagen Montgomery (6-0, 6-1), Erin Gan-Dy and Coco Quinn (6-0, 6-0), Mark Scucchi and Ashley Paredes (6-7 (2), 3-6)

After finishing the last matchup, the Rangers enjoyed a well-deserved meal at Raising Cane’s. From a personal standpoint, this trip meant a lot to me. Not only did I gain a memorable high school experience, but I grew in closeness with my friends and coach. Despite not winning the entire tournament, Jesuit and Ursuline performed exceptionally well, especially considering it was their first time participating in such an event. Coach Wainwright offered a positive outlook on the tournament:

“The college station tournament that we played in was a great time for bonding but also provided us with challenges. WE played really well while learning about our strengths and weaknesses and how to move forward despite the difficulties that we are faced with.”

Stay tuned to The Roundup for future tennis news!