The Natick High School Girl’s Tennis team had their best ever season, finishing their season with a trip to the round of 16 in the state tournament. 

For sixth-year coach Jerry Daly, the result was the culmination of years of continuity, leadership, and a coaching philosophy built around finding each player’s individual rhythm.

Daly, who has played tennis since he was four years old and competes locally at Longfellow Tennis Club and Sudbury River, took over the Natick program six years ago, just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“I came in during COVID, so that was kind of an interesting year… I never got to meet the team,” Daly said.

Since then, he’s built the program into a consistent contender, and this season was no exception.

“I thought it was a great season,” Daly said. “We ended up at 11-7 for the year, and we finished 15th in the state, which was tied for our highest finish… that was also the highest finish last year. So from a statistics point of view, it was great.”

Entering the year, Daly said the goal was simply to finish in the top 20 in the state, a bar the team cleared with room to spare. Daly explained that the team’s commitment never wavered, even with seven seniors on the roster navigating the typical late-spring distractions.

“The big thing this season for me was that, right up to the very end, everyone was supporting the team.” Daly said. “Between prom and senioritis, players can kind of drift off, but the team all stayed focused and showed up, which is great.”

While the loss to Winchester wasn’t what the team was hoping for, Daly said the way his players competed made it a fitting way to close out the year. “It was a great game, and the beauty was that the whole team played their very best,” Daly said. “It’s nice to finish the season on a high note, even if we did lose.”

Much of the team’s stability came from a roster that remained largely intact from a year ago.

Two freshmen, who joined the team last season, stepped into starting roles as sophomores this year, while the team’s seven seniors anchored the lineup.

In total, 15 players saw varsity action this season, giving Natick a deep pool of experience to build around going forward.

“We pretty much carried over most of the players from last year, so we knew what was coming,” Daly said. “Players who played varsity this year will hopefully come back next year and help the team.”

On the court, Daly’s coaching style traces back to his own training with Phil Parish, the longtime head pro at Longfellow Tennis Club. Daly is part of a group of four coaches who have trained under Parish for years, and he’s carried that philosophy directly into Natick’s practices.

“It’s a lot of hitting,” Daly said. “I don’t really run mass drills. We work with the individual players and help with what they need to work on. Most of practice, players are out there hitting with opponents, finding their own game and finding their rhythm. We’ll give little tips to each player, ‘Hey, try this, try that,’ but it’s really about getting out there and playing.”

Off the court, Daly pointed to one group as the driving force behind Natick’s culture: its captains. “I pin our success right to the captains,” Daly said. “I’ve been so lucky over the years to have captains who are so wonderful, engaging, and really encouraging to new players.”

This year’s group included one returning captain, providing continuity from the previous season.

Captains will run team dinners, lead pre-practice stretching, and organize a “question of the day,” where the team sits in a circle so younger players can get to know the upperclassmen. “It forms a great team bond,” Daly said.

One tradition stands out above the rest: the bus ride home after matches. “I really encourage everyone to take the bus home after a match,” Daly explained. “It’s a great time to decompress, and by the time we get home, you can’t tell if we won or lost. The atmosphere is just great. That’s the captains leading that, just by their personality.”

With a strong senior class graduating but plenty of returning talent and a culture built to sustain itself, Natick girls tennis appears well-positioned to build on a season that matched the best finish in program history.