The Girls Tennis Team is a leader of Arcata High fall sports, with a track record of 16 years winning first in league, and seven years undefeated. They continuously exceed expectations and thrive in NorCal tennis competitions, leading some to wonder where their success started.
Their former coach Shelden Heath said they had a core group of players coming into their own in 2013.
“They really set the standard for effort in trying to win league,” Heath said. “We fell short losing to Fortuna that year, but the ball was set rolling for Arcata being a force in the league.”
Some past players have inspired the current generation. Almost all the players said they missed “The Kyra’s/Keira’s,” referring to Kyra Alway and Keira Tatro. These players brought skill and passion to the game before graduating in 2023. The Kyra’s/Keira’s left a legacy of hard work and determination that continues to motivate future players and teams.
Current player Kloee Donnelly was on the team with them for two years.
“The Kyra’s [/Keira’s] are the best people ever,” Donnelly said, “I always want to channel their vibes.”
The league the tennis team plays in is abysmal and the players don’t believe they are challenged enough. This makes it much harder to get better when playing teams in the league, so the tennis players resort to playing themselves.
Meta Nave, ranked number two on the Arcata High Tennis Team, said, “We play games against ourselves and the boys’ team. This way, we get more experience for sections.”
Sections are the tournament after league games where the tennis team plays in a bracket facing a team that qualified in the North Coast. In previous years, Arcata High has been ranked notoriously low, even though they have more skills than some teams that were ranked higher.
“We were really close [to winning] my freshman year,” Nave said. “I think this [year] sections could go really well this year if we keep training.”
This year, the team has five seniors who are all in the top ten and are ranking high on the ladder. Next year will be a year to rebuild after letting go of all of the seniors. They are confident that this team will still excel in the league. Next year, Meta Nave will be the frontrunner on the Arcata High team and hopefully lead them to victory.
“I’m a little worried because we are losing a lot of seniors,” Nave said, “but I am confident about the freshmen.”
