The Venice girls’ tennis team 5–2 is having an impressive season so far, dominating their league and keeping their championship dreams alive. With only one loss to Palisades Charter High School, the team is determined to make their rematch this Friday count.
Venice’s first match against Palisades High on 10/3 was a close battle. “We had a competitive match,” Coach Horen said.
“I was very proud of our number one singles, Téa Vincent: she had a really great match against Pali’s number one player and beat her 8–4. Our number two singles player, Ella Wind, had a really tough match against their number two player but lost 8–6. We lost the rest of the matches, but they were all very competitive and close.”
The team quickly bounced back in their next game against University High on 10/6 sweeping their opponent 7–0. “We won 7–0. We swept all singles and we swept all doubles,” Horen said proudly.
Team chemistry has also been a key part of Venice’s success this year. “These girls have a lot of fun together,” Horen said.
“They get along, they support each other. And, you know, I’m hoping that carries itself into the playoffs.”
One standout player this season is freshman Téa Vincent, the team’s number one singles player, who remains undefeated.
“Thea is our number one singles player, and she’s undefeated this year,” Horen said.
“She beat all three top singles players from Santa Monica when we played them, and she beat the girl that played number one for Pali the first time we played them. She’s in the top 30 in California and has a national ranking. So it really, really helps the depth of our squad.”
As Venice prepares for their highly anticipated rematch with Palisades, the team knows it won’t be easy.
“They’re a very strong team,” Horen said.
“The first time we played them, they didn’t bring their true number one player, who was playing a big national tournament. Their coach actually texted me after that and said he’s bringing their top gun to take on Tea, so it’ll be interesting to see how she does. But the last match, all our doubles were very, very close, and some of our singles were close. So you never know what could happen. If we win a few crucial points, we could sneak a surprise win out.”
Coming off a Division 1 championship win last year, Venice has their sights set on going back-to-back. “Our goal from the beginning was to win another Division 1 championship,” Horen said. “Until that happens or doesn’t, it’s hard to say if we’ve exceeded our goals.”
As the season continues, the team remains focused, united, and ready to fight for another title.
