Sophomore Izzy Sikora was swarmed by her teammates after her final match in the first round of playoffs.
“We did it! We won!” her teammates shouted as they embraced her.
The energy was high as the Panthers advanced to the second round of playoffs for the first time in seven years.
“It was such a satisfying feeling because it wasn’t just her performance. It’s the kids cheering her on, her teammates that wanted her to win,” tennis coach John Macapaz said.
On Tuesday, the Bi-District Championships against Tyler High School started off with seven matches of doubles. The Panthers took an early lead, winning five.
In total, there were 19 matches. The winning team had to win at least 10 to advance to the Area Round. During the single matches, Tyler tied the score at 9. Sikora played in the final match with the season on the line.
“I was really nervous to play, because I knew my match was counting, and it was gonna determine whether we lose or win,” Sikora said.
Sikora led early in the match 5-1. However, as both teams started to watch Sikora’s match, her nervousness started to show.
“I got more nervous and more nervous and I started to lose my pace, which made the score tie up,” Sikora said. “The other team would scream as I tried to serve or hit, which did not help my playing.”
The match ended when her opponent drove a ball into the net, securing Sikora the match.
The tennis team is in the midst of one of its best seasons. They finished the regular season with nine consecutive wins and were undefeated district champions. They will face McKinney North in the Area Round on Friday.
“We focused on consistency, we focused on energy and aggression,” Macapaz said. “We worked on so many different aspects this year, and we’ll continue to do the same. I think the big thing is just keeping them calm. Not let the moment get too big.”
