After a season lost due to COVID in 2020, the Hahnville tennis team has had a 2021 season to remember.
The Tiger boys went unbeaten (10-0) in district competition to capture the league crown for the fourth year in a row, and went 14-1 overall. The girls, meanwhile, captured district runner-up this season, their highest finish in recent years, and went 11-3 as a team overall.
The team boasts a senior class of boys who have not lost a district match in a Tigers uniform, going unbeaten over their three seasons of play.
“It speaks to the caliber of player we have, and their passion and commitment to the game,” said Hahnville head tennis coach Shawn Crochet. “Nobody wants to be complacent with the success they’ve had. They want to continue to strive to be even better. The accomplishments are important to them but what goes into making them happen is just as important for them. That’s why they continue to get those results for themselves.
“It’s exciting for me to share that with them and see how far they go, knowing how much they value the process.”
Quinn Rougeou has been one of the team leaders throughout his time at the school – “He’s played first line ever since he walked in the door,” Crochet said. He lost just three matches all season, one in regular season play, one in the quarterfinals of regionals and one in the second round of the state championship tournament. His overall mark was 14-3.
“He’s a great player who has had a highly successful career,” said Crochet.
Zach Cooper also had a strong season on the second line, earning his own 13-3 mark and qualifying for the state tournament.
In doubles, Harry and Sonny Ao won all but three of their matches, continuing a strong trend from past seasons, and reached the first round of the state tourney.
Among the girls, Kate Faucheux excelled in first line singles and has posted a winning record over her three years of play, all of it on the first line.
Jaselyn Guidry and Hannah Riddick were the first line duo for doubles matches and won 13 times this season, their season concluding at the state championship tournament. All three of the Tigers’ doubles lines were strong, with Tracy Chen and Saidee Fonseca (second line) and Caitlyn Boudreaux and Shea Brassette (third line) making an impact on the court.
One match Crochet said highlighted the team’s potential this season was a matchup with Assumption, a perennial out-of-district opponent that the program often uses as a litmus test.
“They play in a lower division, and year in and year out they’re very good. They kind of set the standard for teams outside of our own division in how they prepare themselves,” Crochet said.
The boys captured a win on the day, while the girls were four games short of winning before the match was suspended for darkness.
“That was an early season indication of how good the kids could be,” Crochet said. “I felt that really showed how high we could go.”
Crochet said the senior group is a special one to him, as he’s worked with several before they became members of the Hahnville family through the school’s annual summer tennis camps.
“We’ve known this group since they were in the 6th and 7th grade. We’ve literally watched them grow before our eyes into the exceptional men and women they are today. It’s been an absolute blessing to see how they respond to challenges, learning life lessons along the way. This is a group we’re definitely going to miss and we’re so thankful for what they brought,” Crochet said.
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