Shuffle faster. Serve harder. Use stronger fore and back hands. Don’t swing through a volley, punch it. All tennis terminology that is constantly said, shouted, and yelled across all of Tomball’s eight tennis courts.

Ninety-three degrees fills the environment. Court temperature at least ten degrees hotter. Sweat beads shimmer off  faces and arms of all of the players. And yet the team only had pleasant things to say about the weather.

Music is playing. The radio is blaring the usual all-too-familiar tunes into the minds of the tennis-crazed athletes. Signs that tennis season is now in full throttle.

Though fall tennis is team tennis season, everyone still has to be motivated individually just like they would be in the spring season. It’s all about bringing something to the table for your team.

Win your match and it could be the difference maker to win the tournament and making you the hero on the short bus ride back to the school. Lose and everything will be reversed.

“All of that though is looking too much into it. All it should be is- be better than the other person on the other side of that net,” junior, number one girl’s seat, Emily Lent said.

“I want you to want to win, and make the playoffs,” Coach  Kristopher Hebert tells his team right off the racquet.

Making the playoffs sounds like a high goal in team tennis considering the fact that the reigning state champs (Klein High School) are not just close to the neighborhood but are also in the district.

But it’s not exactly unfathomable either. With seven seniors returning, who knows how they will inspire their younger teammates.

“I hope this year we can be a better, closer team and that we can have a successful season.  I think that this year we can do better in district and have another winning record.,” senior Jessica Evey said.  “I’m most excited to play Klein and Klein Oak and hopefully beat them!”

Seniors Jessica Evey, Caitlyn Hurley, Meagan Ortiz, Arica Parks, George Rivers, Steven Tea, and Jonathan Tran will be leading the team to victory this year.  These superb seven will go out on the courts, encourage one another, swing their racquets, and achieve the team’s goals, because on those eight tennis courts, they don’t believe in ‘love’.

“We can’t win if we don’t think we can,” senior Steven Tea said.  “Don’t ever doubt someone’s capabilities. Give it a good run. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”