The North Penn Girls Tennis team recently ended their 2018 fall season, bringing another year full of invigorating successes to a close. The team ended the season with a stellar record of 13-3 overall and 6-0 in the conference to become league champions.

Many players think that the immense successes of the season can be attributed to three main qualities: the top-notch skill level from the number one singles and doubles to the last, the outstanding coach, and the overwhelming sense of community and family.

Reflecting on the season, senior Karley Alling emphasized, “I think we did so well this season because we are a really strong team all the way through our lineup, so when some of our top players did not win, the players that played third and fourth doubles were able to pick up wins for the team,”.

Sophomore, Brynn Janke, relates the success to the variety of techniques the team was able to efficiently execute.

“Sometimes we would play very long, consistent points, and others we would attack, or attack one of the players,” Janke said

A number of players expressed this same sentiment, emphasizing that it is imperative to ‘spread the wealth’ in a way, along with having skilled players throughout all tiers of the team.

Despite the natural abilities that each and every one of the players possesses, they would be leaps and bounds behind where they are now if they hadn’t had guidance from their exceptional and very proud coach, Alex DeCecco.

“Our team had a banner year!  We started off by winning the Phoenixville Tournament.  We brought back the team trophy and ALL of our players won individual trophies at their respective positions.  Our team was Continental Conference League Champions and 6 of our players went to Districts, 1 to States” reflected DeCecco.

Alling gave her input on how the coaches have helped the team to success.

“I think a lot of it has to do with our coaches, we have had two coaches since I have been on the team and both have a really great tennis backgrounds, they have coached several teams to nationals and they have both been to nationals themselves,” said Alling.

Most of all though, the players feel the element that most led them to success is the family-like bond that the teammates share.

“The team is literally my second family. We all would go to wing night and tear up those wings and we would have sister bonding time and we would “spill the tea” with everyone about our lives and it just felt like a real team.” remarked senior, Madhu William.

And it isn’t just the players that feel the sense of community in their team.

“Led by captains, Karley Alling and Felicia Yan, the team was definitely a tight knit group.  Of the 13 players on Varsity, 7 were 12th graders and another 3 were 11th graders.  These players have been together for a long time and it showed in the pressure situations” said DeCecco

Although thrilled with the success they relished in this season, Seniors Alling and William can’t help but feel bittersweet, as they play their last official matches as NPHS student athletes.

“What I will miss the most is definitely all the inside jokes and the memories made at the practices and matches and of course the bus rides. I will mostly miss all the underclassmen but I know they will take care of the team when me and the other seniors leave for college next year,” stated William.

“I think that there is a really good sense of family on the team, when I started as a freshman, it wasn’t really like that, but now it is and I love it so much.  Some things I’m going to miss is just being on the team and all the fun memories and annual things we would do like pasta night and our pregame cheer” revealed Alling.

Wherever they and their fellow senior teammates will go in life, they know that they will always be able to ‘ace’ the competition.

Here is a complete list of all the achievements that the team had this season:

Neha Velaga: SOL Champion, District Finals Match on 10/24, States 11/2 & 11/3, 1st Team All League Singles

Lauren Alling: 2nd Team All-League Singles.  3rd Place Doubles with her sister Karley in the Continental Conference League Tournament.  Qualified for Suburban One Districts.

Karley Alling: Honorable Mention All-League Singles.  3rd Place Doubles with her sister Lauren in the Continental Conference League Tournament.  Qualified for Suburban One Districts.

Felicia Yan/Brynn Janke: 1st Team All League Doubles

Anushka Jadav/Madhu William: 2nd Team All League Doubles

Sabrina Palmer/Lizzie Kosten: 2nd Team All League Doubles