The Seven Lakes Varsity Tennis team placed third with a score of 9-10 at the State UIL tournament held Oct 22. to Oct. 27, 2025 at the Waco Regional Tennis Center. Varsity member and senior Allan Xu attributes their success to their consistent preparation and team chemistry. 

“I think it just mainly comes down to how cohesive our group is and the energy of our cheer,” Xu said. “Through regionals, our team bonding has increased a lot as well because everyone’s cheering for each other and overall I feel like the energy is just there.”

Expectations ran high this season as members sought to continue their legacy of being the UIL 6A State runner-ups last season. Despite the pressure, junior varsity member and sophomore Celina Gao how the team effort helps alleviate the pressure.

“Sometimes [we] just ignore the pressure on [the] court,” Gao said. “Since it’s a team effort with everyone cheering them on, it helps reduce tension [and] pressure.”

In the bigger picture, it was the team’s connection and unity that paved the way to state. Their support for one another created a strong sense of belonging.

“The feeling of being in a team and being part of varsity is really like a family, and I feel like we all learn that this is a team effort,” Gao said.

The team’s resilience and determination throughout practice and at state left a lasting impact. It was a group effort, and thanks to strong team dynamics, the team is continuing to improve.

“I feel like our program has grown to be at the highest level pretty recently these past few years, and this was the first time we qualified for state since the beginning of our school year,” Xu said.