The Redhawks tennis team (4-3) came back to The Nest empty-handed Tuesday following a 18-1 loss to the #1 state-ranked Centennial Titans (7-0) in their last regular season match before playoffs.

“We fought hard and had some competitive sets, but ultimately were outmatched [because] Centennial is an incredibly gifted team,” assistant tennis coach Neil Grobler said. “The match was a great opportunity for our group. Unfortunately we didn’t have our best energy out in the courts today. A big takeaway for varsity today was that we should not let result or circumstances dictate our effort – not just on the tennis court, but in life.”

Looking just at the score might lead some to believe the match was a “that’s all she wrote” defeat for the Redhawks, but junior Hailey Zhang believes those people aren’t seeing the big picture.

“I finished the entire season undefeated in singles,” Zhang said. “I kind of feel like that enabled my teammates to will themselves to keep going even through the tough matches.”

The team is going to need more of that persistence, as they start playoffs by taking on the #2 state-ranked Wakeland Wolverines (6-0) next Tuesday.

“That’s what will be on the mind of the players and coaches for the next several days – making the most of our time on the practice court  and preparing to give it our all against Wakeland,” Grobler said.