Even as the boys tennis team’s season winds down, those who are a part of the team say this year was a success, team-wise and individually.

While all members of the team experienced success this season, Andrew McCurley, varsity tennis coach, said, there were a couple individuals that really grew as players as the year progressed.

“The two [players] that jump out are Matt Edkins at first singles and our 3rd doubles team of Eli Steuer and Murphy Schaff,” McCurley said. “Matt has grown over the year and played some great matches even though he always has to play the other team’s best. He just guts out a lot of wins. And Eli and Murphy have grown as a team more and more as the season has progressed. They know each other well and it is starting to show in their play.”

The tight-knit relationships the athletes have with one another allows everyone to succeed, Nate Kransburger, sophomore, said, which contributes to the team’s performance.

“The whole tennis team is very supportive,” Kransberger said. “Whenever we make mistakes, nobody tries to put another down, and instead [they] lift them up. This is especially true and necessary in doubles matches, where good relationships with your partner are necessary to the team’s success.”

Continuing to practice basic skills has improved his game, Kransberger said, which has contributed to his success in-season over the past couple of years.

“I feel like my ground strokes have improved since I started playing high school tennis because of the amount of tennis balls I have been hitting,” Kransberger said. “Practice is a huge part of tennis, as it is for any other sport, so lots of practices and matches have helped me improve over the past couple of years.”

As another underclassmen who has seen growth in his game this season, Jason Morrison, sophomore, credits his improvement to the numerous matches he has played.

“I have improved more through my matches the learning experiences I bring away from them,” Morrison said. “Throughout the season, I have risen to the level I wanted to be at, and even above [that level] as the season starts to wind down.”

With the team’s season slowly drawing to a close, McCurley says he is able to reflect on the team’s growth and is very proud of the players’ growth.

“I’m very happy with how the team has played this year,” McCurley said. “We performed very well in the Crystal Lake tournament, taking 3rd and we placed 4th in conference. It would be wonderful to see one of our guys could make it to state. But all in all, we are just looking to finish the season strong.”