Junior Nathan Knoll began playing tennis his freshman year; however, he has been taking lessons since he was little. Knoll will be on the varsity team this year and is hoping to progress his skills and gain confidence in his athletic abilities. Knoll joined tennis just to add another extracurricular activity to his transcript, hoping to try something out of his comfort zone. Still, now he loves to play and is even a member of the Lake Geneva Tennis Club. Knoll has been practicing a lot over the off-season and is really excited to be able to play in matches.
“I am really looking forward to bringing my new skills out to the court,” Knoll said. “It will be exciting to be able to play and show out my new skills and improvements I have made since our last season.”
Knoll’s teammates said he is an all-around player. Many look up to him and his genuine passion for the sport. Knoll is said to always try his best and never settle for anything else. The team is hoping to win many matches this year and they are confident that the Knoll will help them do so.
“I think Nate has really improved our team by bringing good energy to our practices and games,” junior Will Torres said. “Nate is a good teammate because he is always focused and always puts out his best effort. Nate is a really good player and person all around.”
Knoll is excited to see what the season has to offer. He is not only hoping to improve his own goals, but he also wants to help his team improve the best they can. He is excited to not only help returning players but also new players as well.
“A goal I have this year is to help out my other teammates and lift them up,” Knoll said. “Especially my friends who are new to the team, there are also returning members who are really strong players, and there are new promising players who are excited to play and learn the game.”
Knoll is not too concerned about how COVID-19 will affect his season, either. Tennis can be played as a more individual sport and is naturally played farther apart from each other. COVID-19 does not make for a normal season and it still causes problems the players will have to overcome.
“It’s been a little inconvenient to run with a mask on,” Knoll said. “After a while, you forget you are wearing it. I’d rather play with a mask on than not play at all.”
As a team, Knoll thinks they will play really well and have a lot of fun. Knoll is confident that his teammates are excited for this season as well and is hoping to make up for the last season that they never got to play. Knoll is interested in seeing the improvements in his teammates’ skills as much as he sees them in himself. He is looking forward to playing Crystal Lake, and he thinks that they will be one of the best opponents this season.
“I think this season will be a lot of fun,” Knoll said. “I’ve improved a lot since the last time we were actually able to play matches. I think most players are excited to get back to it. Having our last season get canceled was disappointing, but it will make this season even better.”
Knoll is excited to have this season, especially with his team. He has been practicing in the off-season and is ready to show his new skills against opponents.
