As the Paly boys tennis season has officially come to a close we are able to reflect on their incredible season. From pulling off some impressive regular season upsets against strong teams like Los Altos, to clinching the league title, and to lastly confidently winning the first round of CCS, this season was one for the books.  

Their league season started off rocky, losing to Mountain View in a close match 4-3. Following this loss early on, the Vikings were able to turn it around and go undefeated for the rest of the regular league season, finishing 7-1. 

“The first league loss was tough,” junior team member and captain Josh Kaplan said. “It was important to stay focused after and remember our goals, which I’d say we were able to do pretty well.”

Outside of league play was a challenging but successful part of the season for the team. Playing in local tournaments and matches, they were able to see other great competition in preparation for CCS. 

“A lot of those teams were at a higher level than us individually, but our team effort was successful,” Kaplan said. “Usually the singles players struggled a bit against some of the private school athletes, but our doubles teams were very balanced and put forward a great effort.”

In the much anticipated final part of the season, the CCS tournament, the team was able to cruise to a first round win against San Benito, but fell to league rival Los Altos in the following match. Although this wasn’t the end they had hoped for, there was much to be celebrated at the conclusion of this season. 

Aside from a successful season on paper, the Paly boys tennis team was able to strengthen friendships among team members. Having practice every day and two matches minimum per week, the team spent a lot of time together. 

“Our team is so close. At the beginning I didn’t know most of the team, so I was a bit less comfortable being a captain,” Kaplan said. “By the end of the season everyone on the team supported each other and it was like a family.”