Before the varsity boys tennis match between St. Anselms and CESJDS on March 18 started, head tennis coach Alexander Kirsch gave a speech to the team, encouraging the players to get ready for the match. 

“We have a fire in our bellies today,” Kirsch said. “So let’s show them what we’ve got.” 

This was the first match for the St. Anselm’s Panthers and the second for the Lions, following a close loss against the Washington International School (WIS) on March 17. After being canceled on March 13 the varsity boys tennis match between St. Anselms and JDS was rescheduled for March 18th. The Lions ended up losing to the Panthers 4-1.

The Lions started off strong in the beginning, with first doubles partners freshman Ryan Klepper and junior and captain Yedidya Milner-Gillers taking an early 3-1 lead in the first 30 minutes of their game. 

Towards the end of their game, the duo was down by one but still had the chance to come. They came close to tying up the match but were unable to and ended up losing 8-10 in a head to head finale after Milner-Gillers’ net game cost the doubles team the win. The opposing team’s doubles partners took full advantage of the Lions’ weaknesses, slamming the ball down into the ground behind Milner Gillers. 

“I think Ryan and I both played extremely well,” Milner-Gillers said. “…When I’m up there I am always looking to earn those points.” 

On the other end of the courts, sophomore Coby Schlactus had a strong start as well, beating his opponent in the first couple of games. He played aggressively, often catching his opponent off-guard. He was one of the only players to win his match with a 10-1 win.

“The person I was playing against was very good at tennis,” Schlactus said. “And to be fair we were pretty even skilled.” 

Like the majority of matches against the Panthers, junior and captain Evan Klepper also lost his match. Although JDS had the advantage of their own home court as well as a strong start, St. Anselms fought back little by little, leading eventually to a loss for the Lions.  

Despite the loss to St. Anselms, Kirsch believes that this defeat can still be a possible learning opportunity for the team and a way to grow together. 

“I think that we have made some solid growth since our first match against WIS,” Kirsch said. “It was a good test for us to start this way. Obviously losing is not what we wanted, but we improved a lot across the board.”