Iola High’s tennis team got back into the swing of things, with the Mustangs hitting the courts Thursday in Pittsburg and Friday at Independence.
Perhaps most notably is the team’s improvement despite limited practice time, head coach Chris Belknap said, particularly when noting several of Iola’s opponents have played the sport since they were middle-schoolers.
“The team is playing really well,” Belknap said. “They really seem to enjoy practice and they’re working hard to fill those gaps in playing time.”
In no. 1 singles play, Riccardo Barbarrossa split four matches Thursday in Pittsburg, then went 1-3 Friday at Indy.
Landon Carson and Patrick Weaver went 1-3 both days.
Sam Fager, who started the season in doubles play, has shifted over to the no. 2 singles slot.
He went 2-2 on Thursday and 0-4 on Friday.
Iola’s squad is suiting up against schools with players who have been involved in organized tennis since they were middle-schoolers.
“The team is made up of some really good athletes,” Belknap said.
