The 2021 Westside boys varsity tennis season is officially underway. The Warriors opened their season with a 1-1 record, including a 10-4 loss against Lincoln East, and a 10-0 sweep for their first victory of the season against Bellevue East.

After losing their season opener, Westside knew what defeat felt like and they understood what was needed to bounce back. Junior Alex Kugler expressed his goals for the team moving forward.

“I think we struggled most with staying positive and locking into our matches against high level opponents,” Kugler said. “We need to up our intensity after seeing where we lie against the other top dogs in the state.”

After missing the entirety of his junior season due to injury, senior Josh Rosenblatt showed up ready and prepared to help his team win in his No.2 singles match.

“It felt great coming back. It really did take a long time,” Rosenblatt said after the team’s first win against Bellevue East. “The first match I was all ready to go and get back to competing. Coming off a loss, it truly felt great to get our first team win.”

After a 1-1 start, Westside traveled to the Kearney High School Doubles Invitational. The No.1 doubles team of sophomore A.J. Shefsky and junior Alex Kugler paired up in hopes of winning their second match together. 

“After winning against Bellevue East, our confidence was definitely raised up a notch,” Shefsky said. 

Shefsky and Kugler went into the match on a high note, and split ended their matches 2-2.

“Those two losses stung,” Shefsky said. “Alex and I have really high expectations for ourselves, and as teammates we want to make sure we keep pushing each other to be the best we can be. I know that we’ll bounce back.”

Westside ended up with a 10-6 record at the Kearney Doubles Invitational tournament and finished fourth overall. The Warriors hope to maintain their confidence on Wednesday, Sept. 8 as they host both Lincoln Southeast and Creighton Prep.