The girls’ tennis team placed fifth in the league but is hopeful to win the championship.

Senior and captain Riya De Datta said the team has improved socially throughout the season despite the tough competition.

“Overall, we have had a really competitive season,” De Datta said. “As a team, we have created a really strong bond that has made the season special”

And while many members believed the team has improved, head coach Andy Harader said he was not satisfied with the recent losses to Mountain View and Los Altos.

“Earlier in the season we were going fine, but as of late, there were too many distractions,” Harader said. “it was challenging to ensure enough dedication from the players throughout the season, and extracurricular interests drew time from practices, affecting the team’s performance”

Despite these obstacles, junior Carlin Lee said she enjoyed working with friends in a community of like-minded people.

“I don’t see unexpected problems, it’s just the constant challenge of improving your game and finding the motivation to do so,” Lee said.

Lee also said the team was impacted by the departure of a group of talented players who graduated last year.

“We lost six seniors, so we did have a smaller team that wasn’t as quite polished as usual, so I don’t think we did as best we could,” Lee said. “But that’s to be expected.”

Additionally, Lee said the team is struggling because it is playing against stronger and more competitive schools in the De Anza division.

“We were much better last year, but suddenly moving up to compete against the best of the bests was hard,” Lee said.

For SCVAL and CCS, Harader said he plans to send members to compete in the away games. However, he said the team’s success will depend on its preparedness and the results of the first few matches.

“Six girls will compete in SCVALS, with two singles players and two doubles teams,” Harader said. “We might see the team reach CCS next, not contingent on SCVAL outcomes but based on the strength of our league.”