In the final stretch of Branson’s girls varsity tennis season, the team secured second place at the MCAL championship in late October, where they competed against Redwood High School for the title.

The team showed dedication in the weeks building up to the final, beating several difficult opponents to reach the championship match. 

“We practiced a lot in the positions we were playing, so doubles players practiced doubles, and singles players practiced more singles,” said Mirabel Arlander ‘25, who is also a team co-captain. “We also tried to do a lot of team bonding activities to have good energy going into MCALS.”

Despite a 6-1 loss, Branson showed great effort against a challenging Redwood team. Sienna Yang ‘28, said it was a “pretty tough match, especially since Redwood is our biggest rival.” She also noted that in the final matches “both the players were seniors, so they were pretty experienced.” 

Arlander also shared her personal MCAL experience, saying, “I’ve been lucky enough to go to the finals all the years I’ve played on the team. The individual tournament was especially special though, since it was my first time playing singles in MCALS individually.”

Regardless, Branson had a great season, as the following weekend of Nov. 16, they went on to place first in their NCS bracket, concluding the season on an upwards note. 

Throughout the season, the girls seemed to create a tight-knit community within the greater community of Branson, building strong connections among the players.

“We spend a lot of time together, we drive and play together and have team dinners after, too. It definitely feels like a team because everyone is so supportive of each other, and it’s very comfortable,” said Yang. “I’m really going to miss all of the seniors next year, but I’m still excited to have a promising next season.”