Sydney Geisen ‘26 rips a forehand across the court, winning the super-tie-breaker against Liberty High’s Laney Robbins ‘24. City ends the match with a loss 8-1; nevertheless, the team emerges with strong morale.

“I think our players were very competitive, despite the fact that we were missing two starters. When you have a number one that is out with an injury, everybody has to step up and play at a higher level, and nobody complained at all,” head coach, Dominic Audia, said.

Audia went on to say how impressed he was by the level of tennis being played, with many five-to-six-ball rallies against such a competitive team like Liberty, even in defeat.

“Greta Stanier ‘23 at number one was playing one of the best players in the state of Iowa, and she went toe to toe with her. Greta is a very athletic and competitive player,” Audia said.

The team has faced a string of losses, which can partly be attributed to injuries within the top 6. In order to neutralize this, Coach Audia is forced to adjust the lineup to best help the team.

“I’m always interested in winning, but I also look to the future. When we face injuries in the top six, I try to get younger players in. Even though they’re not going to win, they’re gonna learn by playing,” Audia said.

Putting in younger players is easy, considering the team has decided to hold 13 on the varsity team this year as opposed to the usual 10. This is due to the fact that 6 seniors will be graduating, 4 of whom are in the top 6.

“A lot of younger players aren’t ready for the mental game yet. So by bringing up 13 players, I know that there are younger players that have the potential to grow and get competitive experience at this level, being the leaders for next year,” Audia said.

The team has struggled this year with injuries and schedule conflicts within the top 6, ranging from the musical to jazz band to AP tests. Through the schedule conflicts, Audia is proud to have such a smart and well-versed team.

“We haven’t had any issues with sportsmanship at all. Every team we play always comments on how great and fun of a team we are to play. We’re always competitive and we’re always in the match. Our goal is to permanently develop players and give them a good experience even though our record could be better,” Audia said.