The boys tennis team finished off their season in 6th place in the O-K Red Conference with a 9-8-1 overall record. They had to compete against some steep competition, as well as dealing with harsh weather conditions later in the season.  

“I think our team performed above the level we were thought to play at since we had lost six star seniors from the varsity squad last year,” senior Chris Akselberg said.

Losing that many key players from the team meant that the group had to step up and play at their best even when times were tough.

“The season was pretty good overall, preseason was really solid and we dominated there but when we entered the season the tougher teams gave us a hard time as a whole,” senior Mason Price said.

Even though the team finished sixth in their conference, there were still some bright spots for the season. Junior Noah Bachmann won all-state honors for the second year in a row, dominating his competition with only having one loss on the season in singles play. Also, the group won some matches that they had not won in year’s past.

“We won the Holland Christian tournament for the first time in over a decade,” Akselberg said. “We definitely shocked some people that expected us to play at a lower level.”

As seniors such as Akselberg and Price head out, they are confident in the team’s future with young stars who hope to get better to compete for championships in seasons to come

“We have a pretty young team right now so I think it will be an advantage to those kids to have the experience from important matches and tournaments for future seasons,” Akselberg said.

Experience is key for the Bucs because it gives the younger players who are working hard to improve more chances to succeed. Trying to become the best team in your conference takes a lot of good experience, and even some bad.

“I have no doubt that the team will continue to impress and improve,” Akselberg said.