Kankakee Valley High School

For the first match of the 2025 season, the Kougars hit the courts in their brand new white shirts and black shorts. The weather has been chaotic lately, shifting between scorching heat and heavy rain. It even rained earlier in the day, but thankfully the courts were dry by the time they were needed. A light breeze needed to be acknowledged by players to ensure their shots were in. Coaches asked players about their nerves for the first match of the season, especially since a good chunk were playing competitive tennis for the first time today, but there was a general sense of positivity. The boys were calm and collected as they walked to their courts and began to rally with the opponents from Illiana. Just watching the warmup rallies, it was clear that matches were going to be challenging for both teams. Once real gameplay began, you could see the Kougars working to adapt and fix their mistakes quickly. Some frustration naturally grew, as tennis is an incredibly mentally- taxing sport. For new players especially, how they handle this frustration will make or break their matches. Keeping a level head and remembering their form and training is essential. JV #1 doubles duo Mason Dase and Carson Armstrong were among these new players competing against a different school for the first time. The boys did a great job supporting each other, talking often in between plays and making sure to celebrate every good move. Dase fought tough at the net, using his height to his advantage to hit really sharp and quick angles. Armstrong ran hard around the court throughout the entire match, making sure to fight for every point no matter how tricky. Even when they were down by a good margin, they continued playing hard and began picking up more and more wins. Illiana played well at the net too, and the wind started to make it much harder for the Kougars to avoid hitting the ball short to them. The final score for the match ended in 6-8. When asked for comment, Dase said “I played a flawless match.” Varsity #3 singles player Nathan Hanson fought a grueling first set, even having to go through a tie breaker. It was apparent that Hanson was exhausted, but he still fought for everything. He even dove to the ground at one point, quickly popping back up unharmed and ready for the next one. Rallies lasted a ridiculous amount of time with both sides trying to trip up the other. The fence was littered with green and white as both schools cheered. At a rotation, Hanson threw over his pink water bottle and Coach DeVries caught it with one hand to make sure he stayed hydrated. The final score was 6-7, 4-6 long after all other matches had ceased. While this was a tough first match, the Kougars are ready to fight hard again tomorrow! -JV Coach Lauren Anderson