The Girls Varsity Table Tennis Team finished their season on January 13 against Francis Lewis High School, ending with a record of 8-4 for the year. With their win against Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, they were able to clinch their first playoff appearance in seven years. The team ultimately made it to the quarterfinals where they lost to Brooklyn Tech High School. 

Sophomore Jenney Huang, a member of the Girls Varsity team, said, “The strong mindset we had and our mental toughness allowed us to succeed and make the playoffs for the first time in years.” Adding on, junior (and Classic editor) Katherine Lian said, “I think this year our coach definitely played a big role in helping our team make it to playoffs. He is extremely dedicated to the team and is very passionate about table tennis so we’ve been able to learn a lot from him and improve.”

Regardless of their success, senior Stacey Jiang, who is captain of the team, said, “I think a major challenge we face is the lack of sufficient equipment for practices; many of our tables are broken and we are always low on ping pong balls.” Jenney Huang shared a similar sentiment, saying “Since the team had a lot of newer starters, we had to adjust to the pressure and skill needed during games. It was also really important to keep a positive mindset after losing a point or match.” 

In order to prepare for the playoffs, the team conducted long practices that spanned from after school until six PM. . Katherine  said, “We definitely have a lot of practice time, which has helped us prepare. I feel like we’ve bonded a lot through the long practices, and I’ve gotten to know many of the members a lot better. They definitely lift my spirits [up] before games and I love the energy they bring.” 

Jenney Huang said, “Our team chemistry [got] stronger each practice and being comfortable with each other prompt[ed] us to confidently cheer each other on, allowing the players to be more confident in their abilities.”  

When examining the road to their first playoff matchup in years, Stacey said, “I think the dedication of every team member is what enabled our [success] this year. There is definitely a lot of team chemistry, especially among the doubles players. This was especially true for our recent game against Cardozo, where the scores were extremely close.” Jenney said, “I feel like Coach Lau has just motivated the team and supported the team an incredible amount, during games and practices. He puts so much time, energy, and passion into the team which makes us all feel good when playing.”

After finishing their season with a record of 8-4 in the regular season, they were seeded 13th for playoffs The Hawks had their first playoff game against South Bronx Preparatory on February 1, and won this game due to a forfeit. The team then had their next playoff game on February 3 against the fourth seed Bronx Science. The Hawks were faced up against tough competition and won 3-2 advancing to the Quarter Finals. Unfortunately, the Hawks came up short against Brooklyn Tech High School with a loss of 0-5.