photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Freshman Olivia Smutniak winds to return a volley in a singles match against Shawnee Mission Northwest at Rock Chalk Park on Monday, September 23.

The Lawrence High School tennis team doesn’t have a lot of season left. The Lions compete in the Sunflower League tournament on Oct. 3, with regionals being the week after. For a team of 16 seniors, these next couple of weeks are all that matter.

In Monday’s quad against Shawnee Mission Northwest, Mill Valley and Shawnee Mission West, the Lions showed what can help them get a few girls to state and also what they need to get fixed before then.

The Lions had a strong start and end to the quad, but struggled in the middle match against Shawnee Mission Northwest. LHS started against Mill Valley and won its No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles matches 8-5 and 8-7, respectively.

Against Shawnee Mission Northwest, the Lions’ only win came from No. 2 singles player Olivia Smutniak, who won 8-5. The Lions then went 3-1 against Shawnee Mission West, winning both singles matches and the No. 1 doubles match.

“Hopefully we can continue to see what we’re doing wrong and fix it before we get to (the Sunflower) League (tournament),” coach Chris Marshall said. “Unfortunately, we’re running out of time.”

Harper Jay, who is the team’s No. 1 singles player, said that for her, it’s about taking in what her coach is telling her. There are no more chances after this year for her or her 16 fellow seniors. Getting it right and making it to state has always been the goal through her high school career, but it’s even more important this year.

Jay started her Monday quad with an 8-5 win over Mill Valley’s Stella Platt but fell in the next match 8-3 to Abby O’Connor from Shawnee Mission Northwest. The latter match came against a player who excels in taking the pace off the ball and keeping the ball in play. Marshall said that keying in on hitting the right shot at the right time is the next step in Jay’s game.

The Lions have one more dual in the regular season on Wednesday against Leavenworth. It’s one last chance to figure out what the team needs to fix ahead of the league tournament, and one of the final chances to all play together.

Marshall said that the team loves each other, which is one of the strengths of the group. Jay added that it builds the team’s bond better. With only a few number of opportunities to play together before the season ends, the Lions are going to take advantage of those moments both on and off the court. The team has talent that they’ve showcased through the year. Now it’s time for the team to finish strong and dig deep to accomplish their goal of making it to state together.

“We’re competitive in most games, we just sometimes struggle to get that last point, to have that killer instinct to move our feet a little bit more, to anticipate a little more,” Marshall said. “We have some girls that are really talented, we’re just struggling to learn how to win and how to win the right way.”

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Senior Alexa Nauholz serves during a Monday, September 23 doubles tennis match against Shawnee Mission Northwest at Rock Chalk Park.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Senior Harper Jay serves the ball in a singles match against Mill Valley on Monday, September 23 at Rock Chalk Park.