Winning has become more than a celebrated occurrence for Head Coach Monica Sergent and her Pequot Lakes girls tennis program: it has become an expectation.

Last season, the Patriots were undefeated in the mid-state conference and qualified for state tournament for the first time in team history, finishing in 4th place. When the state approved a shortened fall tennis season, the 2019 section 7A Coach of the Year said that her message to her girls was to take each match one at a time and have a blast.

To get through any season, leadership is a must for a winning program, which Coach Sergent believes is the greatest strength of her Patriots squad. Eight letter winners return to this year’s lineup, and Sergent says she has seen from day one the positive influence that has had on the entire program.

The state has yet to decide whether or not a state tournament will be played this fall for high school tennis. Regardless, Coach Sergent and her team will be focusing on taking things one shortened seasoned match at a time.

By — Brad Hamilton