The Paly badminton team finished their regular season strong, boasting an impressive 12-0 record to remain as the only undefeated team in the league. They had a commanding win against Homestead that crowned them league champions and have their sights set on CCS in the upcoming week. 

Going into the season, the team’s prospects were uncertain. They didn’t even have a coach going into preseason, and had a really small roster consisting of only 20 returning players from last year. However, as the season progressed, things really began to fall into place. 

A Paly alumni who graduated last year, Enzo De Marinis, stepped up to lead the team. Many more people also began to show their interest in playing badminton for Paly. 

“Our turnout on our first team meeting was staggering,” Senior captain Eric Fan said. “Close to 80 people showed up and completely filled the classroom.”

In the season opener against Homestead at home, the varsity team won 23-7. Everyone had played really well, and a win by such a large margin inspired confidence in the team and paved the way for their stellar season. 

Their most dominant win came midway through the season, when the team swept Santa Clara during an away match, winning 30-0. This sweep not only displayed the elite top end talent that the team has, but also the incredible depth of each division. 

“I’m really proud of everyone,” Fan said. “JV didn’t lose a single game either, which speaks to how deep our team is.”

The badminton team’s closest win came towards the end in a rematch against Fremont, when they won 20-10 just a few days prior. This time around, the Vikings were missing five varsity players, the Fremont players came more prepared with an unexpected new lineup. The two teams had tied in score at 15-15, but the Viking’s were able to come home strong, winning the tiebreak 8-7. 

“It was very close,” Senior Ronak Monga said. “I’m very proud of how our team performed at the end.”

For SCVAL Championships, the Vikings started off strong and never looked back, winning 21-9 against Homestead to build on their undefeated regular season. 

“I’m really proud of the entire team and the coaching staff for making such a historic season,” Fan said. “Going undefeated is no small feat, and I couldn’t think of a better way to end my final season on the Paly badminton team.”

The team is continuing to practice everyday, looking to perform at CCS Championships in the coming week.