Westside Girls Tennis Adds Youth to Experienced Team in 2022
Jocelyn Healy returns a hit back in Westside’s dual against Bellevue West in 2021
The Westside varsity girls tennis season has officially begun. Last year the Warriors capped off their season with an 11th place finish out of 30 at the Class A State Tournament.
Looking for improvement this year, the squad added three new talented underclassmen to add to the leadership of seniors Claire Bonnett and Katy Terry, and junior Jocelyn Healy. After going 5-0 in the duel against Papio-South, there’s a lot of optimism surrounding this year’s team.
“I’m very excited about the team dynamic with this being my first season in high-school,” freshman Grace Greenwald said. “I’m definitely looking forward to playing a lot of matches against a lot of different players.”
In order to maintain good results throughout the season, strengthening team chemistry will be necessary. It isn’t always easy to be on the same page, and that’s something the team recognizes in order to combat any miscommunication.
“I think key pieces to success are communicating throughout the team,” Greenwald said. “It’s important to figure out where your individual strengths and weaknesses are.
A team that features a lot of young players will require focus and preparation for the team to retain consistency as the season goes on. Head coach Bart Jeseritz knows what it takes to complete a season, something he did back in October when the varsity boys tennis team placed second in metros and fourth in state.
“I’d say the most important key to consistency is having the team buy into our goals,” Jeseritz said. “You never want only one person to have a drive for success, and I know our whole team has bought it.”
Having two seniors on the team is something that bodes well with the group’s common goal, which is to win state. Veteran experience and leadership comes in handy later on during high-pressure situations.
“Both of the seniors [Terry and Bonnett] have a ton of poise on the court,” Jeseritz said. “They’ve even expressed to me how their nerves have eased given their experience.”
Westside will take on Millard North at home on Tuesday, Mar. 29 at 4 p.m.
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