It was 85 degrees outside, the second heat wave of our supposed fall, on Sept. 17. School just let out and while some students were able to leave campus, the girls’ tennis team stayed to rally together in preparation for their match. They were set to play the Benet Academy girls’ tennis team, an extremely high ranked tennis team in the state of Illinois. While the girls knew that the match would require a great deal of work and effort, they also knew that they had something waiting for them at the end: senior night. It was the yearly anticipated banquet, where the underclassmen got the chance to shower their seniors with gifts and love. Not only did the rest of the team enjoy celebrating their friends who would soon be graduating, but it always makes the seniors feel special. Their work, relationships and efforts are directly awarded on senior night, filling everyone around with optimism.
Family and friends surrounded the tennis courts, viewing from the piping hot bleachers and prepared to be entertained by a climactic match. People gathered to support the team and support the seniors on their honorary recognition night. After a tough battle, GBS lost a close game to Benet. Despite the defeat, it was warming to see how the day dedicated to the Varsity seniors brought the whole team together. Among the applauded seniors were Lucy Mohorovic, Gigi Mohorovic, Samantha Sadorf, Anesa Maloku, Augusta Leimonas and Tess Robins. Each girl was surrounded by their team as supporters gathered to celebrate their senior seasons, as well as the other years of effort the girls put into the sport. Flooded with gift baskets from their teammates, warm hugs from their parents, flowers from the administration and inspiring words from their coach, the seniors surely felt a mix of emotions. The moment was filled with honor of their hard work, sadness for moving on and celebration for the sport and team as a whole. One senior, Lucy Mohorovic, who has been on the GBS tennis team for all four years of her high school career shared: “I just never thought I could have so much fun playing a sport…it is such a positive environment and we just love to joke around as a team.” While the girls are not done with their season just yet, it was heartwarming to see how far each has come and how their obvious hard work and dedication will propel them to finish out the season with a smash.
