The Owatonna Girls Tennis team is off to a 6-5 start this 2022 season. The team has a bright future ahead of them as they enter sections. The team is ranked sixth in the Big 9 Conference. 

This year was a little bit different because early on in the season, a tournament was canceled and another set of matches was rained out. This is a hit to the team because they get roughly 25 games a season, give or take.

The team’s record does not show everything that the team has accomplished this season. Coming into the season, the team was very inexperienced. That  did not stop them, though, as they were still able to find much success throughout the season. Senior captain Olivia McDermott said, “We’re a really young team and we’ve been able to pick up wins despite a lot of the new experience people have.” The players   were not the ones to see this same rising potential. Head Coach Curt Matejcek said, “Even though we had an inexperienced team to start the season, we have seen great growth in our players.” 

The team’s leadership can likely contribute to the amount of success the team has found this season. McDermott said, “I’m looking forward to playing in all the tournaments with the girls, and having the captain role and being a role model.” Also, coming to practice each day and working hard to get better is one strength of this team. Coach Matejcek said, “Our goal was to compete and play at our skill level or above each and every match. We have been pleased with the great effort and hard work the girls have given all season long.”

The team still has high hopes on how they wanted to finish the season. Coach Matjcek said, “Now that the regular season is complete, we are looking forward to the Big 9 conference tournament and section team and individual sections. We have had many competitive matches and look forward to finishing the season strong.” As the season wraps, both the players and coaches know that they have had a phenomenal season with a lot of great opportunities still in front of them. 

Individual sections start on Friday, Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. at the OHS tennis courts.