By Jessica Fontenot
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Continuing their streak from last year, the boys and girls tennis teams battled their way through the courts to be named 2013 Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) champions for this year. The teams took out their rivals, Pearl City High School with the help of their returning coach, Jason Agsalda.
“Overall I think the season went really well being that it was my second year coaching,” Agsalda said, “I think the team really gelled towards the end of the year and you know, it really showed, and I think that’s one of the reasons why we won.”
The OIA championship game was held on April 6 against Kalani High School at the Central Oahu Regional Park, where both MHS teams came out victorious. The boys held a score of 3-1 while the girls held a score of 3-0. Players of the team credit their success to the close bonds they hold as friends. “(The) majority of the players on our tennis team have grown up together because we all play for the same Mililani Club tennis team,” said girls tennis team captain Senior Danielle Terukina. “So that bond that we have helps us to win matches and we support each other through everything.”
Although the tennis team had this advantage, players not only had to adjust to Agsalda’s method of training that he instilled last year, but in deciding whether or not to take his advice. “Every player has their own personal coach so some of them have a hard time adjusting to who they’re going to listen to,” said Agsalda, “For the most part, they know that we (the coaching staff) can help them out, too.”
Despite the possible contradiction, the team has benefitted from their coaches at MHS in that they were able to be successful with most of their games for this season and defeat their rival, Pearl City High School in the semifinals. “Pearl City was our match that we were really preparing for because they’re the one team we really want to beat and they give us, I guess, the most problems,” said Terukina. “It came down to two matches determining whether we would win or not,” said Junior tennis player Zoe Leaman. The game was a close one, where the boys scored 4-1 and girls 3-2.
The team looks forward to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association game that will be held today on the Big Island, where each player hopes to further his or her success.
