St. Mary’s tennis team started the season with a strong performance, securing a win in their first match against Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ). On September 7, 2024, CAJ comes to Setagaya City to compete with Junior Varsity players (JV) in St. Mary’s. Tension rose between the two schools as the players’ passion burned to conquer victory for their school.
The first game kicked off between St. Mary’s Captain, Aoto, and CAJ’s Captain. The winner of the match would be the first to reach 8 games. The game started with a singles match, and through consistent groundstrokes and skillful manipulation of his opponent, Aoto secured St. Mary’s first victory with a dominant score of 8-0. The second game brought another triumph for St. Mary’s, as Kent Stein delivered an engaging match, finishing with a final score of 8-0 against CAJ. St. Mary’s final singles player, Max Long, also secured a decisive victory, closing the singles match with a score of 8-1.
The doubles match kicked off after an enthusiastic singles match. St. Mary’s doubles one player Sangjin Lee, and Yunho Lee displayed incredible team spirits in their first match against CAJ. Sangin’s consistent groundstrokes and Yunho’s brilliant volleys and serves caught the opponent off guard and dominated the other team with the final score of 8-0. Next doubles players were followed by two freshmen, Ken and Kouki, who showed maximum chemistry against CAJ. The team’s unity showed great strength that CAJ could not overcome, leading to a complete victory for St. Mary’s with a score of 8-2.
After the intriguing match, one of St. Mary’s players, Sangjin Lee (’27), said, “Thanks to my teammate, we were able to secure our first victory against CAJ,” expressing his appreciation and highlighting the team’s unity. Everyone on the team shared this feeling, showing JV players’ close bond and teamwork, contributing to their success.
