By: Carter Gribble
SEATTLE- O’Dea tennis is coming in hot this spring season. Seniors Lorenzo Neri and Hamilton Wisen are hitting the ground running preparing for their first match coming up this Monday the 11th after school.
“Some tough teams we will face this season will be Prep, Lakeside and Eastside Catholic. And if we want to be prepared for them, we will have to be in tip-top shape. That means pushing past our limits and holding each other accountable at practice.” Neri exclaimed.
But tennis is not only a physical game, it’s also highly tactical. Lorenzo Neri and his dad, Jason Neri who is the head coach for Irish tennis, must place their roster together like a puzzle each match to give themselves the best chance at defeating their opponent.
This means knowing your opponent and matching up players who counter their opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. This gets amplified in doubles.
Some notable doubles combinations this year are Adam Kloeppel (Jr) and Hamilton Wisen (Sr), Cormac Hummel (Jr) and Nick Behrens (Jr), and possibly Phineas Peterson (So) and Michael tucci (So).
Highlighting one doubles pairing, Adam Kloeppel and Hamilton Wisen’s pairing isnt by coincidence. It’s the O’Dea tradition. Their older brothers Andrew Kloeppel and Mason Wisen class of 2022 were doubles partners throughout their years at O’Dea.
They were quite successful both being captains their senior year and racking up multiple match wins throughout their respective careers in high school.
This pairing is no different, Hamilton and Adam plan to be one of the most dominant pairings in the metro league this upcoming season. And carry on the family tradition.
With doubles covered, Lorenzo Neri will dominate the singles circuit. He is planning to make a deep-state run and bulldoze the Metro League. It is uncertain where or if Neri will play in college as he is still uncommitted.
But that’s not what is on his mind. He is focused on improving his game for the betterment of the team.
He's working on reacting to ball placement and taking a dominant role when playing defense. He is also looking to improve upon identifying weaknesses in his opponent’s defense so he can attack with maximum efficiency and save energy for the late game.
Irish tennis is ready for it all, and Lorenzo Neri and Hamilton Wisen are leading the charge to Irish glory.