Last Wednesday, Sept. 11, the Wheaton Warrenville South Tigers Girls’ Tennis Team lost 5-2 on their home courts in their match against St. Francis.

This match took place on 9/11 and all of the girls from both teams dedicated an opening song to the victims of that tragic day. WWS Coach Patti Clousing then followed with an inspirational speech of her own. After that, the Tigers kicked off the match with an enthusiastic, determined cheer, and the players went to their designated courts.

Senior and 2018 state winner Emily Orlove played first-singles for the Tigers against one of St. Francis’ exhibition players as their first-singles player were not at the match. Naturally, Orlove dominated and won her match.

Senior Jill King, playing second-singles for the Tigers, lost her match, but kept high spirits despite the defeat.

Junior Grace DeMars won her match for the Tigers in her third-singles slot against St. Francis.

Seniors Maddy Draus and Bri Tosto played hard in a close second-doubles match that brought them to a tiebreaker.

Finally, the fourth doubles team, senior Natalie Frank and Junior CC Houlskoetter, also duked it out against St. Francis to a tiebreaker.

In the end, the St. Francis Spartans came out on top. The cumulative results of the matches were 5-2 St. Francis. However, one of the girls for the Tigers said that they had such strong team spirit and “it didn’t even feel like we lost.”

That is one special characteristic about this group of girls: their positivity and high energy that allows them to support each other, win or lose.

“We cheer so hard. Do we win? No, not necessarily, but we definitely have the most fun,” says Senior Natalie Frank.

“Team camaraderie and mega energy. We win on the inside and sometimes we actually do win because we were that obnoxious. It scares the other team,” says Orlove, happily.

With their pure enthusiasm and liveliness, the WWS Girls’ Tiger Tennis team truly embodies the WWS slogan, “100% for 100%.”