Written by Garrett Ruggieri
Our RC women’s tennis team caught fire during their spring break campaign at Hilton Head, NC. As a group, they finished the week with an undefeated record against four different schools. Sophomore doubles partners Carolyn Kitsock and Janny Alvarado were able to be a consistent source of team points, reigning victorious against every doubles opponent they faced.
“We love playing together! We have a lot of experience playing together and we are best friends and are very similar people, so we get each other,” said Kitsock.
Alvarado pointed out that the two have an advantage even before stepping on the court because of their chemistry. “We are both lefties which can really throw the other team off. Also, we talk in between points, sometimes in Spanish, and we have developed our own hand signals for in game communication,” said Alvarado.
With all this success coming in such a short period of time, Kitsock and Alvarado both agreed that the team would not allow it to cloud their heads, reinforcing that the team mentality will remain the same heading forward in the season.
“The team motto, as our coach always says, is ‘performance, not outcome.’ That is our focus going into every match,” Alvarado and Kitsock said.
While most other Roanoke students were home over spring break or enjoying a relaxing vacation where they could simply kick their feet back, our lady’s tennis team was going to work, day in and day out. When asked about this sacrifice, the two had very reputable and humbling responses.
“It’s not really a sacrifice, more of a luxury,” said Alvarado.
“We got to play the sport we love in a beautiful place,” added Kitsock.
After they returned home, they were able to reflect on some great memories off the court as well, experiencing a wonderful excursion down to Savannah, GA. Team camaraderie became a focal point of the trip, and upon popular demand, Alvarado cooked a delicious Guatemalan meal for the team.
In the end, the tennis tour was undefeated, but for this team, and Alvarado and Kitsock especially, the trip was unforgettable.
