Fall is here, and with its arrival comes a flurry of intense sports schedules, one of which is women’s tennis. Since the beginning of summer, the players of Mr. Lejano’s league-winning team have been preparing for their 2015 season.

Now, their hard work is paying off. Although last year’s graduating seniors took with them much talent and vigor, the YLHS tennis team proved its worth when official league play started this past week, triumphant winning against Esperanza on Tuesday, October sixth, and against Brea Olinda on Thursday, October eighth. Matches are scored out of a total of eighteen, with nine players starting (3 singles players, and 3 doubles teams) and a game count if the set score is 9-9. The team won 13-5 in sets against Esperanza, repeating the score against Brea Olinda. In the Brea Olinda match, Mustang doubles teams swept, with each of the three pairs winning all three sets.

The varsity team is composed of six seniors, eight juniors, a sophomore, and a freshman, all of whom have been training since the last week of June together along with the junior varsity tennis team. Their season typically begins at the beginning of September (their first match this year was on the third day of school) and ends sometime in November, depending on their CIF run. A typical week consists of two to three practice days (during which players condition and hit), and two to three matches against other schools, both league and non-league. This year’s league is the North Hills League, which holds opponents such as Esperanza, El Modena, and Brea Olinda.

The women’s tennis team is reportedly tightly-knit; players conduct Secret Sisters once per week (a common tradition in which players buy each other food and small gifts) and have a group chat. Varsity co-captain Erika Paul (12) states that this year, “This is the closest our team has ever been…We are really good friends and think of each other as sisters.”

YLHS teams are known for their closeness, and women’s tennis is no exception: no matter the sport or the record, Mustangs are family, and their dynamic personalities make the experience a win for all.