Willem Krick is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Xavier Prep for AZPreps365.com

Xavier Prep’s varsity badminton team entered its match against Mountain Ridge on Wednesday seeking to bolster its impressive 7-2 record in league play this season.

The Gators delivered, defeating the Mountain Lions 6-3.

Several things led to the Gators’ victory. One was shot variety, which head coach Brian McNerney spoke about following the match. 

“I think the key for us, this year in particular, is [that] we have girls that have a multitude of shots,” McNerney said. 

Having a variety of shots forces the Gators’ opponents to guard the entire court instead of just a certain section. Xavier’s full-court coverage on defense marks a departure from strategy in seasons past.

“In the last few years, we’ve basically given half the court away, so we said we’re not going to drop [hit drop shots], that’s not our thing,'' McNerney said. "We’ve only hit in the back, and it’s caused our opponent to just stand there, [which has allowed us to] dictate the pace of play." 

He added: “Our ability to hit these shots that can go [in the] backcourt, middle court, [and] frontcourt, it allows us that opportunity to win these matches." 

In addition to superior shot variety, seniors Gigi Riviere and Sarah Castlen also mentioned that preparation and mental fortitude proved crucial to the Gators’ success. 

According to Riviere, badminton is the type of sport that requires consistent practice and repetition, as well as a certain level of comfort. The constant practice that the Gators’ put in every week has allowed the team to get comfortable with the sport and with each other. 

In addition to the Gators’ preperation, Castlen sees the team’s success as a byproduct of its mental fortitude.

“I would say [badminton] is definitely a mental game,” Castlen said. “I think it was the will to win that pushed us through [during the match]. A lot of our girls went to three games, and they were able to [pull off] really big comebacks. Our team does a really good job of pushing themselves no matter the circumstances." 

The Gators’ win against Mountain Ridge marks the continuation of a fantastic season of league play. However, the success didn’t come without its share of past setbacks. 

“The key to this season was experiencing a bad season last year,'' Castlen said. "For me, [my struggles] came from getting used to competing with the varsity. I was No. 1 [on the junior varsity team] my sophomore year, and six seniors graduated, so I got bumped up to varsity my junior year. I’d never played a varsity game, and I was in the first position. Getting comfortable with [being on varsity] and playing those games, playing the tough games, that is why we’re better this year." 

Castlen also mentioned the influx of new talent the team has this season, particularly at the exhibition and junior-varsity levels, has contributed to the Gators’ success. 

Even though the win against Mountain Ridge was convincing, the Gators realize they still have things to improve. Riviere admits the team needs to get better at playing doubles. 

“We’re good singles players, but a lot of the time, it comes down to our doubles matches, so improving our doubles play [is one thing we need to work on],” Riviere said. 

McNerney also said that the team’s endurance is something they can improve, in addition to finding the right doubles teams. 

“I find that when we start getting to a third set, we run out of energy, we lose a little steam, and it's happened all year,” McNerney said. “If we don’t win the first two sets, the third set gets a little iffy, so we need to work on some endurance." 

Even with the ups and downs that come with a season in high school sports, the Gators remain positive about the rest of the 2022 campaign.