During the 2025 season, varsity boys tennis went 12-four and ranked second in Southern California. They made it to the finals of both CIF-Southern Section and CIF-Regionals, losing to University High School both times in close matches.
Doubles player Aaron Chung ’28 said the losses to University High School were tough and feels that better coordination could have changed the match dynamic.
“The main thing that hurt about the losses was that it felt like we really could have won if we had prepared a little better,” Chung said. “It was more about what we could have done in the past rather than how we performed in that moment. We gave it all we had, but if we had just prepared a little better and had a couple more serious practices, then we could have pulled it off.”
University High School has won four consecutive CIF-SS Open Division titles, beating the school two of those years in playoffs.
Singles player Zach Figlin ’27 said that he believes it will be between the two schools to win a Open Division.
“[University High School] is our biggest rival,” Figlin said. “I think it’s going to be us and them at the one and two [spots], so beating them would be a big [deal].”
Going into a new season, Program Head Bo Hardt has emphasized team practices and commitment to the sport. Hardt said his priority as head coach is to develop his team as people and change his players’ mindset away from tennis being an individual sport.
“In my opinion, a good young man is somebody who knows how to work with a team and isn’t a selfish human being, so we use the tennis team as a tool to teach and to enforce that into their personalities,” Hardt said. “A lot of them have never been a part of a team. I think showing up to practice, showing up to matches, showing up to support their teammates and communication are all valuable parts of teaching young men, which is ultimately my job. Winning is great, but it is not the main goal here.”
Chung said Hardt and the players are stressing effort and dedication to the team.
“We are focusing more on team engagement,” Chung said. “We are really doubling down on people showing up to practice and making sure we are getting the most out of practices rather than just going through the motions. [Hardt] is emphasizing keeping the culture of the team alive. We can’t just win while everyone is off doing their own thing and going off to their own practices. He would rather have a team that wins through teamwork than everyone being separated.”
The team will feature a significantly different starting lineup after four of nine starters from last year graduated.
Chung said the seniors last year set the expectations for the rest of the team, and now that will be the responsibility of the current seniors.
“The seniors played a really big role last year because they were not only our best players, but they were also our captain and co-captain,” Chung said. “Every practice depended on them to decide how the practice went, whether it was a lazy practice or we actually made sure we got work in. Without them, it is a pretty big difference, so the seniors this year will really have to step up and fill that position.”
Figlin said the extra year of development will help players from last year take on bigger roles.
“Last year we had a lot of depth, so this year we have a lot of good players who are still on the starting lineup,” Figlin said. “So, hopefully the extra year of experience will help with this year.”
The team will head to Orlando, Florida, to compete in the National High School Championships from Feb. 26 to 28. The tournament will host top-ranked teams from across the country.
Figlin said the tournament will bring the team together and provide some competitive matches.
“I think that will definitely help with team bonding and team morale,” Figlin said. “We will get some good wins and good matches that will help us with confidence for the rest of the season.”
