Flint Hill tennis players recently went to the Independent School League Championships, or the ISL, during which all of their arduous tennis endeavors proved to be worth the struggle as the team came back victorious. 

After a stunning 8-0 win-to-loss record in the league, the Huskies on the Girls’ Varsity Tennis team were ready to bring the championship title home. 

One member of the team, junior Jordan Rupli, commented about her experience getting to the league championships.   “The tournament was super exciting, especially knowing that we had beat the teams we were going to play before. All we wanted to do was end the season with an ISL win, so when we did, it was a great feeling, especially seeing our senior captains’ reactions,” she said.

Seniors Lexie Perez, Swetha Madiraju, Nicole Kladakis, and Shelby Berger were relieved to take home an ISL title during their senior year. Berger said, “Seeing everyone super excited about the banner was great, but what was even better was watching everyone play their absolute best and hardest and watching everyone cheer each other on from beginning to end.”

Coming back from the COVID-19 pandemic, being able to practice in-person tennis was an opportunity that everyone on the team was excited about, especially being able to get to the ISL Championships during the first year back to school. Being able to win this title was an even bigger accomplishment, as Flint Hill has only brought home the ISL title twice before in the past. 

Flint Hill sports are known to bond students in a way unrelated to academics and seeing these athletes come together during a moment of joy and victory is a win for Flint Hill. Not only was the ISL a display of talent and strength in sports but also a display of how cooperative and bonded the team was. The ISL victory was a culmination of all the hard work these student-athletes put into tennis these past few months as well as the fellowship that grew during this time.

Junior Caroline Miller shared her experience being a part of the team. “I thoroughly enjoyed every moment we shared as a team. Everyone was always so positive and supportive which made a difference in the quality of the tennis season. It was definitely a special experience,” Miller said.

The team advanced to the VISAA State tournament after a 4-2 win against St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School. Though the girls fought hard, unfortunately, they were not able to win the tournament. In spite of the loss, members of the team consider this year’s tennis season as one that is very successful.