The girls tennis team is entering their new season swinging–their arms that is. The season began before school had even started in September with a pre-season that consisted of long, draining days when the girls spent all day at work.

Participating in 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.practices, the team has already spent countless hours preparing for the upcoming season. With an unfortunate season record of 1-13 last year, the varsity team hopes to improve and make 2017 their year. After losing six seniors from last year, the only returning varsity player is sophomore Jackie Eschbach.

“Tennis is a huge part of my life, and so far, this season has been really great,” No. 1 singles player Eschbach said. “I am really looking forward to getting to know the team and its new members better.”

This year’s roster is comprised of new and motivated players making the possibilities of the team endless; among them is first year varsity player and No. 3 singles player Swara Ramaswamy.

“This year I’m going to try to play as well as I can,” Ramaswamy said. “To try and help the team by winning as many varsity matches as I can is my goal.”

Head coach Larry Johnson has high hopes for the team. He believes to the fullest extent that all players, regardless of rank, are all talented and bring something significant to the team.

“One of our goals this season is to win matches we’re capable of winning and having a great tennis team experience,” Johnson said.

As for their competition, Johnson explains that he believes the team’s toughest competitor will be Hunterdon Central. He attributes this largely to the fact that the team is coached by Will Daly, who is all too familiar with the Lady Raiders. Daly himself is an alumnus of the tennis program at Hillsborough High School, and assists in the Hillsborough tennis camps that run in the summer.

The team is looking to make this season one to remember. While the girls aim not only to win as many matches as they can, they are also looking forward to strengthening their bond as a team.

The team’s record is currently 4-7, and they hope to improve with a busy schedule of matches in October. The Raiders will look for victory number five today against Pingry.