Even though for many outdoor sports the indecisive snow has become a menace, tennis rackets and balls are now finally colliding. "We've gotten all of our practices in, whether it was inside or outside, so the snow hasn't been a big issue," tennis coach Phyllis Zilm said.

     This season, however, the team has lost many of last year's varsity players putting them at a not so strong point. "We've had some ups and downs so far in the season, but we've got a bunch of young, [new] tennis players," Zilm said.

     Even though GSHS tennis girls have been riding on a temporary roller-coaster, their determination to improve themselves is still within them. "We’re a great team. We support each other really well and we still have fun while being serious about the sport,” JV tennis player Marithe Munoz said. As a whole team their mission to reach Demon pride is to play their best tennis and make it to regionals this coming May.

     Currently, GSHS’ tennis team consists of five seniors and 16 JV players. "My hope is that the program will continue to grow and get stronger," Zilm said.

     The fact that the team consists of 21 players and doesn’t receive any funding from the school, is not an obstacle for the girls. "[It] does not affect the girls at all because we have a large tennis community that supports us," Zilm said. As it turns out, the tennis team received a donation of 900 dollars from 20-20 Eye Care, and another 500 from Amy Soddy, an old friend of Zilm’s.

      As GSHS views Rifle as a rival for many sports, tennis players also have prey in sight. Aspen tennis has been GSHS  tennis' latest opponent, and with two losses and four wins, GSHS tennis team will hunt down Aspen skiers. "We've also never lost to Roaring Fork , and I'd like to keep it that way," Zilm said.

     So far the way things have gone with GSHS tennis, one can only hope to see the  tennis girls make  it to regionals. "I'm hopin' the girls playing individually do make it to regionals, they are varsity athletes and they are representing their school and community," Zilm said.

     We can expect the Girls Varsity tennis to play regionals at Mesa State College in Grand-Junction  on Thursday, May 6 as well as Friday, May 7.