Tennis placed second in the district and made it to the area round of playoffs, though, unfortunately, their competition stopped there. Senior Tatum Sikes has played tennis for Legacy since her freshman year.
“I’m really proud of the team we had this year,” Sikes said. “A majority of our varsity are freshmen who stepped up and worked hard to help us win.”
Since the fall season came to a close, the team plans to continue practices in hopes of eventually making it to state in the spring season. Sikes wants to put in extra court time and play outside of school more often to improve her skills.
“Playing tournaments and getting lessons outside of school is really beneficial in the long run because it helps improve my game,” Sikes said.
Together the team will shift to the individual tennis season next. Practices consist of conditioning and footwork drills to get players into shape for the spring season. Teammates like freshman Nevaeh Mack will also continue to scrimmage each other in preparation for January when the season starts.
“I think we all do really well with high morals,” Mack said. “We all have fun and did our best.”
Aside from the heavy practice sessions though, the team often gathers together outside of school to hang out. They had a kick-off party and go out to dinner. Oftentimes they bond when they travel for matches.
“The most memorable moment for the team was probably the season kickoff party,” Sikes said. “It was super fun to hang out with everyone outside of practice and also bring us closer together not only as a team but as friends too.”
Spending time off the courts helps the team bond in more ways than just tennis. By building relationships, they strengthen the team and have the potential to perform better on the courts, which is what Sikes wants.
“I think it really cool to be on a team where every single person has the drive and passion for the sport,” Sikes said.
When Legacy first opened, Tennis successfully placed 12th in the state. However, they have yet to see another state placement in recent years but senior and tennis captain Tatum Sikes plans to break that rhythm.
“It feels good to be so accomplished because it shows that all the time and hard work that was put into it pays off,” Sikes said.
