BSM boys’ tennis players are finally back on the court this spring after losing a well-anticipated season last year. Although precautions are being taken, players say the season looks pretty typical.

Matches and practices look almost identical to a normal year this season, with the only difference being mask-wearing. Sections will be held in late May with the State tournament following in mid-June. The location is to be determined since playing indoors would create more difficulties with COVID for fans and players. The tournament is expected to continue normally as it would in any other year.

The regular season looks busier than ever, even in the midst of COVID. Matches are scattered throughout every week. The team practices on any weekdays when they don’t have a match––weather permitting. “The schedule for matches is crammed this year. We have eight matches in the next two weeks when we usually would only have two or three matches in a week,” senior captain Mitchell Kroll said.

Fans will be allowed at all matches this year as long as they wear a mask. There are a few players fans should keep an eye out for this year. “Fans should definitely watch for Noah Hong in the singles lineup, and Avery Nelson and Chase Field in the doubles lineup. So far it looks like they are going to be important parts of the team,” Kroll said.

The team looks very different than it did the last time they played two years ago. They lost five seniors this year, and there are many new players. One new face this season is sophomore Chase Field who came from Weil Tennis Academy, a well-known tennis boarding school in California.

At Weil Tennis Academy, Field played four to five hours of tennis per day with matches on weekends. The players practiced together but only had solo matches because they weren’t a formal team. Players would play athletes from other states or schools. “I’m excited to be at Benilde. This is the first time I’ve played for a team instead of by myself, so I’m excited for that,” Field said.

Although the lineup has changed, the team is feeling good about the 2021 season. Players weren’t expecting such an easy transition considering how vastly the roster changed, but things feel and look great so far. “We’re more hungry than ever,” Field said.