Junior Cailey Wiese, doubles

Do you have any pre-match rituals as a team?
Not really, but Coach Hjort likes to share these little jokes as a team. This year, he tells us we’re piranhas, and before a game he tells us to “just attack.”

What’s your toughest competitions this year?
I would say Lake Travis, Westwood and Vandegrift. Last week we had almost six games with Lake Travis, and that’s more than we’ve ever had with them.

What hopes do you have for the season as a team?
Regionals. We were qualified last year, but this year Coach Hjort really wants us to win.

What match are you looking forward to most and why?
Honestly, Kileen and Ellison. They’re a little lower-level, which is kind of a confidence boost for us so we get the chance to spice things up a bit.

What do you want to change this year?
I wish we had more team dinners. I don’t know if that’s relevant since it’s not really about practicing, but I love the team bonding and that’s important.

Which athlete do you think is going to make an impact this year?
Katie Merle. She’s a sophomore this year and she’s improved so much. She’s just gone from the bottom to the top in one year, and now she’s such a strong player and it’s just amazing to watch that change.

How do you feel about Coach Hjort staying?
It was such a relief! I love Coach Hjort; he connects so much with the team, so we were so glad to have him for one more year. Especially for the seniors, we’re so excited to have him for just a little longer.

What’s something the fans should know about the team?
Tennis really is an exciting sport. I don’t know if people really know this, but there is so much tension in the game. It’s an underrated sport.

Fill in the blank: We’ll advance to regionals if we ________
Attack!