A close set at Hill

Saturday, April 12, the Boys' Varsity Tennis team traveled to The Hill School for its third MAPL match of the season. Despite a strong effort, Mercersburg narrowly fell to Hill, 4–3. Both teams fought hard, contesting each point fiercely, causing the outcome to be uncertain until the end.

“We got very unlucky,” said Simon Brennan ‘26. “We had two tiebreakers where we could’ve won, but Hill pulled through and lost the doubles point, which is crucial in our matches. It honestly all came down to just a few key moments.” He and the team will endeavor to maintain focus and confidence through the upcoming matches. “We know what we need to work on, and we will bounce back this Tuesday.”

Team captain Oscar Su '25 acknowledged the team’s strengths and challenges. “Very good effort by the team,” he said. “But playing away from home definitely played a role, and too many unforced errors cost us the match. At the end of the day, it was a matter of nerves—nerves were the deciding factor.”

While the team was disappointed with the result, they remain committed to improving through the remainder of the season.

Max Zhang ‘26, number-one player, added, “The season is not going as planned; we’re off to a slow start.” he continued, “The season is feeling really quick right now. We're already halfway through, and we don't have a positive record, so we're hoping to change that.”

Team manager Hisano Enomoto ‘25 reflected, “I think this was a particularly close match considering the result. We were really close to winning, but I think this also gave the boys the chance to be reinforced with the things they need to be working on.” Manager Ava Marathe ‘26, added, “During practice, they all work hard. “Their captain is really good about making sure everyone's included.” 

Compared to last year, the varsity team is relatively young. The shift in team dynamic has required some adjustments, but coaches and players are optimistic about the team's potential. Ben Demerath, new to the Mercersburg community and current coach of the boys' third team, said, “The team is great, I’m having an amazing time with the program.”

Although Head Coach Ken Craig couldn’t attend the Hill match, he commented, “We have a hardworking team this year. The match on Saturday was really close.”

The Storm traveled to Alexandria, Virginia, on Tuesday, April 15, to face Bishop Ireton School. With their sights on rebounding from the Hill School loss, the team is focused on refining their game and making every point count.