![The Phoenix varsity volleyball team lines up for the national anthem. “We were more communicative [with each other] during this game, and I feel like we kept our energy up, especially after the first set,” senior Jessica Valdov said.](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DSC_0202-1200x800.jpg)
![As the referee throws the ball up for the tip-off, freshman Simone Diby leaps towards the ball to get it in Phoenix possession. Diby is a new member of the Phoenix girls basketball team, and despite it being a change, she finds it enjoyable. “It’s definitely a different experience if you’ve never played on a team, [but] I think it’s still fun.”](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DSC_0057-1200x662.jpg)
Springing into Action: Girls Tennis Plays First Home Game of the Season.
On March 27, the Phoenix varsity girls tennis team faced off against the Knights in the first official home game of the season.
Preparing to serve, junior Tarini Panidepu throws the ball up to initiate an overhead serve across the net.
May 10, 2023
On March 27, the Phoenix girls tennis team played against the Knights in their first home game of the spring season. The game concluded with a Phoenix win 9-0.
Starting off the season with a win, the team has been eager to get back into the sport since the last school year. The team went up against John Champe for their first home game. While they have seen success, the game served as a basis of where they need to improve. “Our team can definitely improve in doubles,” co-captain junior Tarini Panidepu said. “I know we have singles down, it’s just doubles that we need some work on. I think that our team is on a pretty good path.”
This is Panidepu’s third year on the tennis team and she serves as the co-captain alongside junior Rachel Adams. “We’re both juniors. And that’s like a pretty big thing to be captains,” Panidepu said. Even with the fact that they are only juniors, Adams and Panidepu both lead the team to perform better.
The team hopes to continue their success as they had an amazing season last year. “We were region runner-up,” junior Sannidhi Sangisetti said. “We won districts but just couldn’t get regions.” The team aims to go further this year, hoping to reach regionals by the end of this season. In order to do so, the team has been devoting their energy to analyzing games and deciding what they need to improve on, as well as preparing for the next upcoming game.
Additionally, to reach this achieve
ment the team plans to play to their fullest extent and practice often. “[We should] probably work on our stamina and the heat because it’ll start getting super hot in May.” Sangisetti said. “We’re just going to be too hot. We are going to go out of water. [We] need to get our endurance up.” However, your mental state can also affect how you perform, on and off the court. “Your mental state can be really tough,” Panidepu said. “You have to muscle through your mental states basically. You’re playing against yourself and that’s a really big thing with tennis, [it’s] a really big mental thing.”
The next game for varsity girls tennis is scheduled for April 18th against Loudoun Valley.
![In a historic presidential election, voters nationwide turned out to make their voices heard. Virginia’s 10th congressional district had three key national positions up for election: president, senator, and representative.
In the race for the House of Representatives seat previously held by Democrat Jennifer Wexton, the Republican Party nominated Mike Clancy, while the Democratic Party put forward Suhas Subramanyam, a former Virginia General Assembly Senator. Subramanyam won the seat with a 52% majority.
For one of Virginia’s Senate positions, Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine and Republican challenger Hung Cao faced off. Kaine took the position with a 54% majority.
For the White House, current Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump fought to obtain the 270 electoral votes needed to get the bid. News outlets worldwide tracked the results live, with close attention to seven key battleground states: Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Wisconsin, Georgia, and North Carolina. Trump ultimately crossed the 270-vote threshold early on Nov. 6, with the swing states playing a pivotal role in his campaign’s success.
This election was the first presidential race for many Gen-Z voters, who entered a sharply polarized environment. Adela Booth, mother-in-law of Representative-Elect Subramanyam, traveled from Connecticut to support his campaign, encouraging young voters to engage in the political process. “Vote,” Booth said. “Get involved in politics. Even [if] you don’t think it applies to you, it applies to you. You will carry this debt. It will affect your grandchildren and you have to do something about it. You can’t sit back and watch anymore.”
✏️ and 📷 by Shivu Sathe](https://theblazerrhs.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)