The varsity tennis team is heading to state after advancing through the regional tournament on April 17 and 18. The team, led by Coach Michael, secured several key victories to move on to the next stage.

The team consists of boys’ doubles Pablo Alvarez and Rodrigo Montano claimed gold, while Jairo Kirk and Ryan Totorica earned silver—both teams advancing to state

For junior Ryan Totorica, continuous improvement and the possibility of playing at the collegiate level provide motivation.

“The thought of playing at the collegiate level and getting better every day inspired me to keep playing,” he said.

Qualifying for state requires determination and strong results at each stage.

Totorica explained, to qualify for state, you need to be chosen as one of the two doubles, mixed doubles, or singles spot “the coach selects for the UIL district tournament,” you need to place in the top two at districts to qualify for regionals and place in the top three at the regional tournament to qualify.

Throughout the season, balancing athletics and academics was a challenge.

“The most challenging part of the season is staying consistent with the practices and tournaments while balancing it with schoolwork,” Totorica said. “I was able to overcome this by just staying locked in on my goals.”

His doubles partner, Jairo Kirk, added that prioritizing what’s important was key.

“Just focusing on what’s important and staying locked in truly helps,” Kirk said.

With the state tournament on the horizon, Totorica and Kirk’s goals are clear.

“We are looking forward to winning state,” Kirk said.

As for advice to younger athletes, Totorica and Kirk encourage persistence.

“If we had any advice to other students, we would just say stay consistent and do the right things, and good things will come,” Totorica said.

The state competition is scheduled for May 7 and 8 at NISD.

The Reagan Rattlers will compete against other top schools from around the state at the event.