Tennis shoes squeak as Texas High tennis players swiftly move back and forth to hit the flying ball. Through tough competition, the players know how to successfully pull through to stay focused and stabilize their play.
On Oct. 6-7 2025, Varsity Tennis competed in the Bi-District tournament in McKinney, Texas. The Tigers took the lead in a 10-1 finish. Coach Toby Watson led the Tigers to victory.
“We’re playing McKinney North first round by district,” Watson said. “We’re matched up with a very evenly matched team, but I feel like we have a slight edge on experience.”
The way the team moves as a whole determines their gameplay against the opposing teams.
“We’ve been playing really well as a team this fall,” Watson said. “I’m looking forward to the match-up.”
Working on game-winning skills ensures full effort on the court at all times.
“I think the main strategy for us right now is doubles,” Watson said. “We’ve been working on being a little more aggressive in doubles and taking a few more chances at net.”
One player shows exceptional effort no matter the occasion. Sophomore Alli Altenbaumer shines on and off the court to represent Tiger Tennis.
“Alli Altenbaumer comes ready to go every day,” Watson said. “You can count on her to give 110% no matter who we’re playing.”
Altenbaumer creates personal goals to help her push through different matches.
“Strategies that I implemented throughout my match include being consistent, running for a lot of balls, and targeting my opponents’ weaknesses,” Altenbaumer said. “ I also made sure that I was consistently getting my serve in to ensure I didn’t lose a point due to an unforced error.”
Goals don’t always play out exactly how planned; however, Altenbaumer found a way to move around certain obstacles to remain on top of things.
“One thing I could have improved was my mindset at the beginning of my match. I thought about getting the points over quickly, which didn’t go my way,” Altenbaumer said. “However, I shifted the way I was thinking and tried to get as many balls in play as I possibly could.”
