When the Spring 2019 semester begins in just over a month, the City College Women’s Tennis team will already be one week into their season.
The seven-player-squad, lead by head coach Christina Klein, has already started practice, but have paused so that the team can focus on their impending finals and winter break.
“I believe this year we have a stronger team,” Klein said.
For this squad, the goal is simple: make it back to the state finals. The tournament, which lasts four days and is played in Ventura and Ojai, is something this team is already familiar with, as they were there last season.
Tennis is both a team sport and an individual sport, something freshman Jamaica Buyse said she knows well. After moving to Santa Barbara from Belgium, Buyse has seen the advantages of playing with the Vaqueros.
“It’s nice to play for a team instead of yourself,” she said.
Whether playing solo or as one half of a duo, this squad is playing with the overarching goal of bringing a victory back home.
“We can’t wait to see what this season has in store,” said sophomore Maddie Mitchell.
Mitchell is one of two returning members to this team and is looking forward to getting back on the court.
“We’re playing more challenging teams,” she said. In the team’s first match, they’ll face Cerritos College, an elite squad that could challenge the Vaqueros’ strong foundation.
This team is focused, but they know how to relax and enjoy the game they’ve dedicated themselves to playing.
“During practices we always have fun,” said Buyse, noting that the squad is really supportive of each other.
One of their biggest cheerleaders is Coach Klein, who has been coaching at City College for four years, with two of them as head coach.
“I expect to do pretty well this season,” she said. Klein, having played tennis at Westmont, as well as being nationally ranked in doubles for a time, is well equipped to lead this team to the finals and beyond.
The Women’s Tennis season officially begins on January 25th, with a home match against Cerritos College.
