After a long and hard fought season, AV Boys Tennis were finally due to face off against Redwood–the No. 2 seed in the NCS semi-finals. In a nail-biting matchup, with a final team score of 4-3, Fan Jia (‘26) delivered a clutch, high-energy performance to advance the team to the CIF Nor-Cal Championships in a stunning upset.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears
“The Redwood-Amador match had been looming all season as a likely NCS semifinal, and we knew it would be our toughest. With CIF on the line, winning my match and beating Redwood was a huge relief. It was especially inspiring to see everyone overcome their nerves—especially Fan, who knew it was up to him to clinch the win. Watching him grow as a player and captain motivated us all to play our best at states,” said Rohan Patil (‘25).
Leading the team both on and off the court, star Varsity Captain, Rohan Patil, has been the heart and soul of the team. With his incomparable level of leadership, love for the sport, and work ethic every day, Patil (‘25) has led each member of the team to push their limits and play with their best foot forward.
“Being a leader starts by leading by example. I try to be as kind as I can and practice as hard as I can to set an example of the culture of amador tennis. It’s important for a leader to build meaningful connections with each player, congratulating them on success, being hard on them when they can do better and imparting as much knowledge as possible when necessary,” said Patil (‘25).
After dropping the first match of the season, the Dons bounced back to win ten straight. This in part can be credited to freshman standout Charles “Lil Man” Guo (‘28) who clinched multiple tight matches in the regular season to eventually solidify the boys for the three seed in NCS.
Boys Tennis – Off to States
The last time the AV Boys Tennis were headed to states was in 2023, making this an emotional and meaningful “last dance” for the Class of 2025; Their tireless work–both on the court and behind the scenes–is finally paying off, like Aaren Sharma (‘25) who plans to take his talents to the next level after dedicating his life to tennis. For the others, this readies them for the upcoming years where they’ll be fighting for a spot to do it all again.
“It means a lot. My favorite memory of high school was the van ride to States during my sophomore year, so having the opportunity to go back in my senior year feels fitting. To play my last ever high school match at States, where the best high school teams in Northern California compete,” said Sharma (‘25).
