Under the clear blue sky on Monday, March 9, the Bishop’s tennis courts came alive with the screeching of shoes sliding against concrete and the rhythmic bouncing of balls as the Bishop’s Boys’ Varsity Tennis Team warmed up for their upcoming match. The squad huddled together and received final words of encouragement from Coach Dave Marousch. Moments later, the Knights took the court to face the Cathedral Catholic High School Dons.

The Bishop’s team hoped to bounce back from two unfortunate losses in the week prior, after getting outscored 14-4 by both Westview High School on March 4 and Del Norte High School on March 5. The Knights were in for a tough match, matching up against a talented Dons unit while missing singles player Eric Chen (‘27) and doubles player David Feng (‘29). Co-captain Tyler Chang (‘26) remained optimistic, saying before the match, “I feel pretty good. I think it’s going to be a good match.”

Tyler emphasized the need for teamwork in Monday’s match and moving forward in the season, saying, “As captain, my goal is to cultivate a team that’s going to work well together and raise these boys into leaders.” Ryan Park (‘27) added, “I think the key to winning is, in every match, just being confident and moving your feet.”

Freshman Elias Odmann (‘29) quickly put that confidence into action, playing in the match featuring the best (No.1) singles player from each team. Elias got off to a strong start, staying composed and attacking his opponent’s second serves, allowing him to win his first two games. 

However, the opposing player rallied back in the third and fourth games, keeping the ball deep, forcing Elias to back up and hit hard shots. The score evened at 2-2.

Elias stayed focused, making a brilliant save in the fifth game by chasing down a deep hit and sending a controlled shot back over the net to keep the rally alive. His opponent’s return drifted into the net, and Elias won the point, but was not able to ultimately win the game. 

Elias continued to make impressive plays, hitting a shot down the sideline to win a key point in the sixth game. Yet even with his skillful effort, he narrowly fell short in the game, leaving the score at 2-4. 

In the next two games, Elias was overpowered by his opponent, losing the set 2-6 despite his high intensity of play.

During the second round of doubles, the Bishop’s was able to find success as the Knights’ No. 2 team, Ryan and Jonathan Huang (‘28), faced the Don’s No. 3 doubles team, or the third best doubles team at Cathedral. This was Jonathan’s first match back from a wrist injury, but he played as if he never left making numerous overhead smashes at the net, putting points away decisively and helping the duo jump out to a 2-0 lead.

Ryan played confidently as he had intended before the match, making clutch shots to win points and keeping the ball alive. The players showcased excellent teamwork, communicating constantly and moving as a unit to prevent gaps from opening on defense. The team finished off the match with a 6-1 victory. 

The Bishop’s No. 1 doubles team, composed of captains Tyler Chang and Chris Tao (‘26), also won handily in their match against Cathedral Catholic’s No. 2 doubles team. In the first game, the group worked together flawlessly, showcasing the chemistry from years of playing together, as Chris raced back to make a save, setting up Tyler for a clean overhead smash that sealed the point.

The team applied high pressure, forcing mistakes from their opponents, allowing them to go up 3-1. At the game point of the fifth game, the duo maintained another chaotic rally. As Tyler managed to keep the ball in play despite falling, Chris returned the next shot, and Tyler made another off-balance hit to win the game. The duo exchanged high-fives in celebration before returning to their positions to start the next game. 

In the seventh game, the team stayed focused and closed out the set with a 6-1 victory from a well-placed volley from Chris. 

Unfortunately, Bishop’s would ultimately fall to the Dons by 8 sets to 10, setting the season record at 2-3. Despite the loss, the match was a strong showing for a shorthanded Bishop’s team, highlighted by Elias and Michael Sun (‘28) winning two of their three sets in singles, and Tyler and Chris also winning two of their three sets in doubles. 

After the match, Elias noted that “the team really worked together well.” Jonathan agreed, emphasizing that “communication is key to success, we played better when we communicated well.”

Although the Knights fell just short, the match highlighted the team’s resilience, teamwork, and talent. With minor adjustments, Bishop’s proved they have the pieces to compete as the season moves forward.