It’s been three years in the making for the trio of junior girls
on the 2011 San Benito High girls tennis squad. The three, who
joined the tennis team as freshmen in 2008, are now the oldest
players on the squad of 22 girls.
It’s been three years in the making for the trio of junior girls on the 2011 San Benito High girls tennis squad. The three, who joined the tennis team as freshmen in 2008, are now the oldest players on the squad of 22 girls.
A year earlier than expected, the girls are designated as the top players on the squad.
Ally Triolo, who was on the No. 1 doubles team last year, has graduated to the top spot on the singles team – a dramatic change for the junior.
Audrey Marshal has now comfortably taken over the No. 2 singles slot in the new season. And Annie Tobias is doing well as a partner on the No. 1 doubles team.
With no seniors on the squad, the trio of junior leaders are realizing their potential earlier than could be expected.
“They have been in the program the longest – this is their third year – and they know what the routine is and they pretty much model what their leaders did last year,” coach Ed Cecena said. “They are doing a good job with keeping the girls positive and keeping that team spirit up. They do a good job in making it fun for the girls.”
And more than anything, keeping it fun is the ultimate goal of the leaders.
“I always try to be really positive,” Triolo said. “If you have someone that is negative, it’s hard to perform well so I try to be a role model.”
And it helps that the three have a long history of success in the sport.
Triolo started playing when she was younger, but started to dedicated a majority of her time to the sport when she was in the sixth grade, she said. Triolo started to practice four times a week, thanks to the support of her mother, who introduced her to the sport.
“My mom got me into it when I was younger,” Triolo said.
Triolo now plays tennis almost year-round. During off-months with the school team, Triolo plays in the United States Tennis Association.
Marshall was also introduced to the sport by a family member when she was young. Picking up a racket at the age of five, Marshall became more involved with tennis as she watched her older sister progress through the sport – eventually following her footsteps by joining the high school team.
For Marshall, tennis was the only sport she felt she could improve with, she said.
“I really wasn’t very good at other sports,” Marshal said. “I gave softball and soccer a try but I wasn’t very good. My grandma lives here in Ridgemark and she heard about tennis so I though why not give it a try.”
And Marshal couldn’t be happier that she did.
“I like that it’s a team sport but it’s up to you – it’s solo,” she said.
As a team captain, Marshal, like Triolo and Tobias, spends a lot of her time cheering on her teammates, rooting for their success and being there when they struggle.
“My approach is just letting them know if they mess up we are here,” Marshall said.
To get better with such a young squad, it’s important to always stay positive, Tobias said.
“We encourage them to keep playing,” she said. “We have a lot of beginners and I’m proud of how far the girls have come. We just give them advice to help them become the best players they could be.”
Tobias joined the tennis team her freshman year, after playing the sport for a couple of years. She joined because her parents wanted her to stay involved with school – and tennis was an easy choice, Tobias said.
“It seemed a good fit and something I could work on,” Tobias said. “It was a good sport to play and it was fun.”
And the play of the three junior leaders give the Balers a bright future, Cecena said.
“I think so,” he said. “We may be having a hard time right now this year, but these juniors will put it in the back of thier minds and continue to get better.”
