A new practice method has helped Española tennis thrive.
While they are working harder than ever, the focus of some practices has been “mental” days — where the team takes a break from outdoor practice to study and watch film.
“Last year, we didn’t take enough,” top boys singles player Ian Gaytan said of their mental days. “Self care days. We’ve been taking a lot of time to just go into the classroom and watch videos, watch film. Instead of playing on the court, we’ve been doing some video analyzing and it’s honestly helping us a lot.”
Española boys finished third at the Albuquerque Academy Tournament, and the girls finished fourth, both continuing what has been a strong season as they prepare for districts.
Volcano Vista’s boys team pulled out of the tournament, and Española played Academy’s No. 2 team in an unofficial match and lost.
Española scored a strong win over district opponent Robertson in the third-place match, pulling out a 5-4 victory. Owen Silva-Vigil in 3 singles and Joaquin Salazar in 4 singles both won third-set tiebreakers to put the Sundevils ahead, while Jesus Orozco in 5 singles won in straight sets. Española won in two of three doubles matches to secure the victory.
Española boys also beat Albuquerque High due to a discrepancy in the Bulldogs’ lineup sheet, according to coach Nancy Suazo, while facing the defending 5A third-place finisher in Leo Rocca, who beat Gaytan 6-1, 6-1.
“These matches are really my favorite matches,” Gaytan said of playing top players in the state. “I learn the most from them. You get to take a lot of things from better players’ games. Getting to play these upper players has really shaped me into the player I am today.”
The girls team beat Cibola and Belen, and ultimately lost to Sandia in the third-place match after losing to Albuquerque Academy. The Sandia loss was 5-4, with a close tiebreak loss in 4 singles ultimately the difference. Española won in four of the six singles matches, but lost in all three doubles.
The year has been full of highlights for the Sundevils; the boys team scored a decisive victory over Hope Christian, the team that defeated them in the first round of the 4A state tournament last year. And they beat Piedra Vista, one of the top 5A teams. The girls team has a chance at the district championship, having already beaten St. Michael’s, Santa Fe Prep and Los Alamos this season.
“We’re competing with some of the best schools,” Gaytan said. “The girls are just kicking butt, honestly.”
Española’s teams start district pool play on Friday with matches at Taos, facing Los Alamos, St. Michael’s and Taos. Gaytan expects that both the boys and girls teams will ultimately compete for the district title.