Tennis team couldn’t hold on in Santa Barbara

The Pierce College tennis team was defeated in Santa Barbara five matches to four on Thursday, Feb. 23.

Brahmas’ head coach Rajeev Datt attributed the loss mainly to the fact that many players were injured and Santa Barbara’s strategy.

“We didn’t have our full line up,” he said. “The opposing team definitely came to the net more than us.”

Datt also emphasized the team need to work volleying the ball, meaning hitting it before it bounces, communication, and poaching, which is when the offensive player in a doubles match crosses in front of his teammate to intercept the ball.

“I have the best squad, it’s the deepest, and the most injuries,” Datt said. “It’s a double edged sword.”

Over the years, according to Datt, Pierce tennis players have been moving on to four-year schools to continue playing, but this time he hopes the majority of his players would leave with athletic scholarships.

He also hopes that, one day, Pierce will also have a women’s tennis team.

“Women need more sports and deserve an equal number of opportunities to play and be a part of the team,” he said.

The team’s next game for the Tennis team will be a home game against Bakersfield on Thursday, Mar 1.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *