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Midvale Journal

Girls play with heart—for in tennis, it’s all about the love

Nov 23, 2020 11:38AM ● By Julie Slama

Hillcrest High junior Shay Minoughan serves during the region match, held at Brighton High. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

By Julie Slama | [email protected]

Hillcrest High head tennis coach Robert James knows his student-athletes may have disadvantages competing with some of the state’s top teams in the region, but he also expects his team to work hard when they step on the court.

“I’m proud of those who came to practice, learned a lot and applied what they learned to their game,” he said. “We want them to create the action, not wait for it to come to you. They tried hard, had fun and improved a lot.”

While they struggled on the scoreboard—with their only team win over Murray—they showed grace at the Sept. 23-24 region meet held at Brighton High, placing seventh.

They also showed resiliency during the uncertainty of practicing and competing during the COVID-19 pandemic from having daily health checks to having a few players be quarantined during regionals as they were in direct contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.

And the team is looking forward to next fall.

“The UHSAA plans to realign the region,” James said, adding that it might be early spring when they will learn if they still will have stiff competition with Skyline, Olympus and other teams next season.