On Oct 27., girls tennis played Los Altos High School for their last home game for the season. The senior girls were showered with flowers and posters from their coaches and younger teammates.

“It’s still surreal that I’m a senior — sometimes I still feel like a freshman,” senior Miharu Koh said, “but it feels good to guide [underclassmen].”

As they cycled between matches and taking pictures with friends who had come out to watch and cheer, the girls mulled over some of their favorite memories on the team. Senior Sarah Lim thought back to a late night game in Menlo Park that turned into unintentional team bonding.

“It was dark, and we were all sitting on the tennis courts waiting for our parents to come, because many of them had forgotten to come,” Lim said. “But I just remember, in those particular moments, having some great team bonding.”

As Koh thought back, she remembered the climactic game moments on the court being some of her best memories on the team, as every girl came together during those moments to fight and to win.

“It was the game against Homestead [High School],” Koh said. “The singles game was the only game at the end, and we were tied 3-3. Even though we lost, I really liked how we were together. It’s proof that, together, we make a great team.”

As the girls swung their rackets back and forth, coach Gene Fortino reminisced on the four years with the senior girls as well. He claimed to have recognized the weight of experience on the team before the start of the season, and as a result, some of his fears of the next year were elucidated.

“I knew this year’s team was going to be top-heavy because of the amount of experienced players going in,” Fortino said. “It may be a little rough next year, but we have some talented players on the team, and I don’t doubt their abilities.”

The girls got their happy ending to a season and, for some, a high school tennis career as they took LAHS home, ending the game with a score of 5-2 overall.

The seven seniors will leave MVHS having trained their underclassmen counterparts to carry on their legacy, and though it was their last game at home together, to them the feeling of unity was anything but ephemeral.

“It really feels like I am part of a family, even when I leave Monta Vista it will feel that way,” Koh said. “I think it always will.”

Share this Story