Westford Academy’s Girls’ Tennis team recently welcomed a number of new players to join the team, including freshman Shivali Shrivastava, who is spending her first year at WA on the varsity team.  She plays first doubles on the varsity team with her partner, sophomore Caitlin Cannuscio.

The girls’ team held tryouts from March 20 – 24, spanning over a week of intense evaluation by Tracy Capone, the varsity coach and John Nidzgorski, the junior varsity coach.  

“I knew that tryouts were going to be tough so I just focused on my game and pushed myself to do my best. I did not think about winning but rather improving my stamina and technique each day,” Shrivastava said.

Shrivastava decided to take up tennis when she went to watch a tennis tournament that her close friends were hosting. While watching the matches, she thought they seemed really fun and required a lot of skills.

“My favorite part about tennis is the fast pace of the game and the tactical plays involved which makes it so fun to watch,” Shrivastava said.

The first match of the season was on Monday, April 3 against Chelmsford at Chelmsford High School, where she played her first high school varsity match with her partner, Cannuscio.

“My first match was a great experience and I had a lot of fun. Unfortunately we lost but this gave me an opportunity to get to know my doubles partner and adjust for next time. Everyone was so supportive of each other which I loved and as always it gave me more motivation to win next time,” Shrivastava said.

Now, she is very excited to be a part of the WAGT family and plans to continue playing tennis for as long as she can.

Playing tennis for three and a half full years shows her dedication to bring an athlete. Last year her schedule consisted of playing three times a week in the summer and fall, and once a week in the winter.

“I love being on the team and getting to meet new people and becoming friends,” Shrivastava said. “I’m not the best but I’ve learned that it’s important to work hard and have determination so you can improve yourself as a player and a person,”