WHEN you think of sports, many students might think of football, soccer, or basketball. Not many people think of tennis, as it’s not considered a very popular sport at Granger. However, the girls tennis team at Granger High School is one of the best teams here at school. They are currently second in the region and have won most of their games. They practice five days a week, have three teams, and provide team equipment for the players to use.

“I’m definitely worried about playing Taylorsville. I watched them play one of our seniors, they’re aggressive. When the girl didn’t hit the ball right or she lost a round, she’d slam her racket against the ground. They’re just intense to play, I’m nervous,” Camille Hoang (11) said. Taylorsville is one of the team’s biggest opponents. Hoang also shared information about the three teams which are: Varsity, JV, and Exhibition. Hoang said that over the summer, they practiced twice a day, first from 6:00-8:00 a.m., and then they would come back again to play from 6:00-8:00 p.m., and now they only practice after school.

Hoang says that the expenses for the team are fairly cheap compared to other sports. It’s around $140 for all the team expenses. However, that doesn’t include shoes and rackets. The school provides rackets for girls who do not have their own or can’t afford them. Usually, rackets would cost around $100 to $200 dollars while shoes are around $100 to $200 as well.

Mariah Valle (10) described what it’s like being on the exhibition team. “The exhibition team has mostly freshmen, there’s a sprinkle of sophomores, like me,” Valle said. She noted that she doesn’t mind being on the team, she’s meeting new people who enjoy the sport. Valle also said that she wins and loses about equally—it’s not about the wins for her, it’s about having fun.

Coach Sanada has been head coach of girls tennis for three years. “This year is really good for the girls, I’ve noticed some of their improvement from the beginning of last year to now—I’m proud of them,” Mr. Sanada said. He also said that last year, the team only had a few seniors, but this year they have 14 seniors.

Recently, the girls played against other Utah teams in St. George. Tika Phouthavong (12) said that it was extremely hot there, but that she had a lot of fun with her teammates. “We ate crickets, it was weird. They tasted like sunflower seeds, the sour cream and onion kind,” Phouthavong said.

“We made Tik-Toks too,” Diana Ruiz (12) said.

Ruiz also talked about the struggles about playing in St. George. “They didn’t have cold water, and it was extremely hot. There was also more wind there

WHEN you think of sports, many students might think of football, soccer, or basketball. Not many people think of tennis, as it’s not considered a very popular sport at Granger. However, the girls tennis team at Granger High School is one of the best teams here at school. They are currently second in the region and have won most of their games. They practice five days a week, have three teams, and provide team equipment for the players to use.

“I’m definitely worried about playing Taylorsville. I watched them play one of our seniors, they’re aggressive. When the girl didn’t hit the ball right or she lost a round, she’d slam her racket against the ground. They’re just intense to play, I’m nervous,” Camille Hoang (11) said. Taylorsville is one of the team’s biggest opponents. Hoang also shared information about the three teams which are: Varsity, JV, and Exhibition. Hoang said that over the summer, they practiced twice a day, first from 6:00-8:00 a.m., and then they would come back again to play from 6:00-8:00 p.m., and now they only practice after school.

Hoang says that the expenses for the team are fairly cheap compared to other sports. It’s around $140 for all the team expenses. However, that doesn’t include shoes and rackets. The school provides rackets for girls who do not have their own or can’t afford them. Usually, rackets would cost around $100 to $200 dollars while shoes are around $100 to $200 as well.

Mariah Valle (10) described what it’s like being on the exhibition team. “The exhibition team has mostly freshmen, there’s a sprinkle of sophomores, like me,” Valle said. She noted that she doesn’t mind being on the team, she’s meeting new people who enjoy the sport. Valle also said that she wins and loses about equally—it’s not about the wins for her, it’s about having fun.

Coach Sanada has been head coach of girls tennis for three years. “This year is really good for the girls, I’ve noticed some of their improvement from the beginning of last year to now—I’m proud of them,” Mr. Sanada said. He also said that last year, the team only had a few seniors, but this year they have 14 seniors.

Recently, the girls played against other Utah teams in St. George. Tika Phouthavong (12) said that it was extremely hot there, but that she had a lot of fun with her teammates. “We ate crickets, it was weird. They tasted like sunflower seeds, the sour cream and onion kind,” Phouthavong said.

“We made Tik-Toks too,” Diana Ruiz (12) said.

Ruiz also talked about the struggles about playing in St. George. “They didn’t have cold water, and it was extremely hot. There was also more wind there and that affected how we played,” she said. They also looked on the bright side, saying they were near the rocks, so the view was pretty, and the vibes were great down there. The girls stayed down there from a Thursday to a Saturday.

Another round of games that the girls will play is the region tournament.

Katy Gidney (12) said she is excited to play, and she likes having all the people there. “I’m mostly nervous to play against Hunter,” Gidney said. “Last time I played them, the girl I played had a good ground stroke.” She said that the brackets and elimination process works well. She said she first plays Kearns, if she wins that then she plays West Jordan, and if she wins that game then she plays Taylorsville.

“I like the feeling of stroking the ball. Also, the team’s really close—it’s like a big family,” Gidney said.

that affected how we played,” she said. They also looked on the bright side, saying they were near the rocks, so the view was pretty, and the vibes were great down there. The girls stayed down there from a Thursday to a Saturday.

Another round of games that the girls will play is the region tournament.

Katy Gidney (12) said she is excited to play, and she likes having all the people there. “I’m mostly nervous to play against Hunter,” Gidney said. “Last time I played them, the girl I played had a good ground stroke.” She said that the brackets and elimination process works well. She said she first plays Kearns, if she wins that then she plays West Jordan, and if she wins that game then she plays Taylorsville.

“I like the feeling of stroking the ball. Also, the team’s really close—it’s like a big family,” Gidney said.