Wednesday 4/17 – Andover: 7, St. Paul’s: 0
On Wednesday, Boys Tennis (4-0) played its first outdoor game against St. Paul’s and came home with its third shutout of the season.
Jeff Shen ’26 discussed the drills the team did to prepare for Wednesday’s match by working to address the wind while playing as this game was the first match using the outdoor courts. Shen applauded the team for its performance and ability to address the wind like it had practiced.
Shen said, “Working on net play is essential, as most of the doubles points are won through net play. Because today we played very well. We played dominant points. Winning the doubles games right away which was conducive to the win today. Net play really shows up when playing in windy conditions because when you’re at the net it’s easier to put away points, rather than at the baseline where you’re trying to grind your opponent out.”
Shen also talked about the team’s mentality prior to playing St. Paul’s. Specifically, highlighting how the team was excited to play on the outdoor courts for the first time and were ready to play after the long weekend.
Shen said, “We knew that the team was ready based on previous training sessions. We were ready to play our A-game. And then that’s how we pulled up.”
Chase Burke ’25 mentioned that the team supported one another throughout the matches and constantly persevered through any difficult points to ultimately win the match. Although Burke and his partner, Ben Shin ’26, got off to a rough start, they continued to uplift one another.
Burke said, “[We] made sure to stay positive. And, if you miss one ball, it’s not the end of the world and you gotta keep pushing and remind your partner when he thinks, when he gets down, that he has to keep pushing as well because we’re a team and it’s important to stick together.”
Similarly, Shen talked about what he loves about the team environment. By working as a team and not completely focusing on the skillset of the top players, Shen emphasized how he feels a sense of community.
Shen said, “I love our coaches and the community… We support each other and practice sessions are always great because we don’t work on one individual person… We put more work on our team as a whole, and that’s how we compete because how you train is how you compete. When we go out there, we play as a team, not as an individual.”
Shin also spoke of his love for the community. Through the team’s intrinsic competitive nature and how close each player is to one another, Shin highlighted the friendships he has made.
Shin said, “The pre-season trip really brought us together as we played tennis for six days. [We] stayed at a hotel and trained all day. But it’s also that we all just want to win and do well on the court, so it’s just a shared goal, which brings us together.”
Boys Tennis will play again at home on Friday against Belmont Hill.
