UNState Tournament A Success

Woods Park Tennis Center in Lincoln hosted the UNState Girls Tennis Tournament on Saturday, August 8, 2020. Fifteen teams from both Class A and Class B took part in the event with girls from 22 different schools.

“We’re all super thankful to be here, and it’s good to be with our teammates and nice to see everyone together,” said Sophia Hurst, a junior at Papillion-La Vista High School.

Her older sister, who graduated from Papio in 2018 served as the team coach, since head coaches weren’t allowed to “coach” their teams, though they could be there for support and encouragement.

“It’s cool to see all the girls being able to have fun and kind of get some relief from this whole pandemic,” Tessa Hurst said. “For one day they’re able to have more normalcy.”

“I’m so thankful to the USTA for organizing this event, especially for our seniors who didn’t get to have a season, it warms my heart,” said Mariana Hurst, mother and Papio head coach. “To be able to walk away and play at the end of the summer is a blessing.”

Many former players served as coaches during the event, which created a lighter, more jovial atmosphere. Duncan Works graduated from Lincoln Southwest High School in 2018, and considered himself the “liaison” for the Silverhawks team. He helped with the line-ups and gave encouragement when needed.

“It’s good to be here and have the competitive spirit back,” he said. “I’m just excited to be part of this.”

Safety guidelines were followed such as masks inside the facility, hand sanitizer stations, and no shaking hands after matches.