“Tennis is a great sport, and it’s important to me that kids have the opportunity to learn a sport that they can enjoy and play for the rest of their lives,” said Sommer May, Notre Dame Academy’s Girls Tennis coach.
May, a 2000 alum, has been coaching at NDA for four years. She decided to take this role because tennis has always been an important part of her life and brings her “great joy to be able to share my love and knowledge of the game with others.”
This year, the team was made up of 60 total players: 12 on varsity and 48 on JV, one of the largest teams in Wisconsin.
Even though having that many players was challenging at times, many efforts were made to optimize practice time and make everyone feel part of the team.
“As long as players are willing to commit, show up and work hard at all practices, support their teammates and have fun, there is a spot for everyone on our team,” said the coach.
The JV team’s record was 9-1, and they were first in the JV FRCC conference tournament.
Varsity’s record was 25-5, and they were also FRCC Conference champions with a 9-0 record and sectional runner ups. Six players later advanced to individual state: Lucy Lawton, Vivi Bigari, Kennedy May, Lilia Root, Mary Sullivan, and Sophia Lin. All in all, they were a Top Ten state-ranked team.
The team achieved its goal of winning the conference and making it to individual state, but they unfortunately fell short to the team state tournament, which was a “heartbreaking loss,” as May described it.
“On the one hand, I try to be a supportive coach and not dwell on the loss but focus on the success so far. On the other hand, we need to hold ourselves accountable and improve,” she said.
In order to do that, the team is planning on reducing unforced errors and ameliorate overall athleticism as well as mental toughness during the off season to come back stronger next year.
“Tennis is a sport both physically and mentally: it is crucial for players to communicate and strategize well with their partners,” said Bea Rayel, a senior on the team this year.
Despite the final loss, the girls are very proud of what they have accomplished so far and are grateful for a good season with a great team environment.
“Everyone is so supportive and caring to one another,” said Rayel. “Everyone always has fun while playing competitively.”
Now that the season is over, the “hardest part” is coming, saying goodbye to all the seniors, according to coach May.
“It’s been amazing to watch what they’ve accomplished on and off the courts the past four years,” she said. “They are awesome examples of what it means to be a Triton Tennis player and have set the bar high for those that step into their positions next year.”
Above all, Sommer’s main hope of coaching Triton Tennis is to “give the students a meaningful, competitive and memorable experience.”
