The girls tennis team came in second in state this weekend, just under Lake Forest high school. Alex Solovyev, junior, came in second individually.

The team won state last year and has had multiple other state titles. The players dealt with the expectation to do well by having an optimistic and confident attitude.

“Personally, I felt like there was a lot of pressure because I had done so well at state last year and we got first overall. To handle it, I just played in the moment, and I didn’t let the importance of each match get to me,” Solovyev said.

“There was definitely some pressure, especially since Hinsdale Central is known for its tennis program, but we also knew this year wouldn’t be easy. We basically handled it by reminding ourselves to play without fear and by supporting our teammates,” said Tiffany Chen, senior.

The players are pleased with their performance and believe that they lived up to their expectations after last year.

“We had a lot of tough competition, so I think we did well considering,” Solovyev said. “On the third day, we had to play three tough matches. It was really intense and stressful because it was the last day of the tournament.”

“Of course we wanted to win the whole thing, but we still did well as a team. We definitely expected to place in the top three,” Chen said.

For the seniors on the team, like Chen, it was their last time performing with their team. These seniors look back at their last four years with fond memories and are proud of the team’s accomplishments.

“I’m so proud of our team. It’s been a great 4 years,” Chen said.

For the juniors, it was a nice to play with the seniors.

“Playing with my senior teammates was kind of bittersweet, but we all played hard until the end and I’m really proud of them,” Solovyev said.