The UC High Girls Tennis Team capped off a successful season with a win in the 2021-2022 Girls Tennis CIF Championship.

   Senior Cissy Letter has the highest universal tennis ranking on the team. Letter said, “This season was one for the books. For the first time in UC High tennis history, the girls tennis ended up winning CIF.”

   Coach Justin Nguyen led the UC High Girls Tennis Team to win the 2021-2022 CIF Championship. Their hard work and training paid off. Nguyen said, “Compared to last season, the team has improved greatly, and I am very happy with how we ended the season.”

   The team has numerous great players but some stood out. Nguyen said, “Not all of our wins but a majority were carried by Letter, Junior Trinity Dewey, and Sophomore Maria Lapikova. I was grateful to have them and all my other players on the team.” He added, “Next season, I would like to see more improvement in the junior varsity squad. I want to train them so they are ready for next season.”

   Nguyen is a passionate coach who enjoys many things about being these students’ mentors. He said, “One of my favorite parts of coaching is getting to know all the players. As a teacher, you don’t get that privilege and you don’t get to joke around like you do on the courts.” He added, “Even though all my athletes hate it, having them run is one of my favorite things. I love seeing them improve in just a few months on how fast they can run.”

   After winning this season, the UC High Tennis Team is already scouting for the future. Nguyen said, “The hardest competitor is probably Point Loma High. Our team lost overall against them, but I am hoping by next year we are prepared to beat them.” 

   Another great player on the team is Senior Maria Lapikova, who is a League Champion and has a universal tennis ranking of 2.78 landing on the high side of UC Highs rankings. Lapikova said, “I think the overall season was pretty good. There is definitely room for improvement.” 

   This season provided many good memories for numerous players on the Tennis Team. Lapikova said, “My favorite match has to be the finals match in the individual tournament. Working hard through the season paid off the most, ending with Dewy and I with the title of League Champions.” Letter added to that saying, “My favorite match has to be the finals of CIF’s against Santana High. These matches were close tie breakers and had high stakes but were very satisfying wins.”