The Cary-Grove tennis team went up against Woodstock North for their first match of the year and the results were positive at the JV level.

One of the success stories was from Kevin McDonald and Quinn Gliniecki, who won their doubles match.

McDonald said the matchup wasn’t much of a challenge, but Glinecki acknowledged the other team did have some poaches on the fourth game.

McDonald said the key to their game was “cooperation, fluidity and trust not to serve into another’s face.”

Glinecki added that they “call shots, and we move like a rope is attached to us. When we play together, we are one.” The duo is looking toward Prairie Ridge as their biggest matchup in conference, something that Lucas Harper and Jack Sitarski agree with.

Harper and Sitarski won their doubles match behind Sitarski’s net play and strong serving. Still, they see room for improvement as they prepare to take on their rivals.

“Pretty good game, but we gave them some easy shots,” Harper said. “I’m doing better than last year because my forehand is a lot better.”

In singles competition, Matt Poole and Luke Weber won their matches by taking different approaches.

Weber described his approach as “being aggressive and always attacking,” while Poole said he prefers “waiting for the right time for a winning play.”

Their styles of play may differ, but in the end they led to a win to kick off the season. The team is confident it will be the first of many.

“Knowing the strengths of the team I have a feeling we will go above all the way,” Joey Stanley said.