Manhattan High’s varsity boys tennis team now has their last home meet behind them. The team hoped to play Olathe in the Olathe Northwest Dual better than they did last year and they did just that, winning four matches out of nine.

“It felt pretty good; last year we only won two,” coach Joyce Allen said. “Olathe Northwest just won their Sunflower League. They beat Shawnee Mission East for the first time so we think we did pretty good. There were a couple matches we felt we should have won but didn’t, but that’s okay; at least we know we can do it.”

“It’s the first time that we’ve gotten to play any team from Kansas City and see some different teams that are really good,” junior Kirkland Lambert said. “To see that we can hang with those guys is fun so I really enjoyed it.”

Taking on No. 3 singles, Lambert beat out Olathe 8-7 and also played No. 1 doubles with junior Collin Queal.

“I thought I played well. I don’t think I played as well as I could have, but that’s asking for a lot from a tennis player,” Lambert said. “I thought I played particularly well in my singles match, better than I did in my doubles match. According to some rankings, they were the second best team in the state and we only lost to them four games to five… Playing good players brings out what you’re not as good at so I’m definitely coming away knowing what I need to work on to improve.”

Lambert began playing tennis the summer before his sixth grade year.

“My uncle, Ned, played tennis in high school and my older cousin Jake, who is a sophomore in college right now, got me started. I just enjoyed tennis from the start,” Lambert said. “I love playing all sports but, tennis, above the others, is just something I really enjoyed, I wanted to go out and hit with people. I wanted to go play all the time. That passion for the game just kind of flowed into it and made it more enjoyable than other sports.”

For singles, sophomore Bryce Easton took on No. 1, dropping a match 5-8. Junior Bryan Armbrust played No. 2 singles and came out 8-5; junior Collin Queal won 8-1 as No. 4 singles; senior No. 5 singles Camden Adams beat out Olathe 8-7 and No. 6 singles senior Benaiah Gorman dropped his match 3-8. Adams and Gorman along with juniors Matt and Ben Turnley played No. 2 and No. 3 doubles respectively.

“I was surprised. I thought our doubles would do better and not the singles, but it was the singles that won… I thought they played really well,” Allen said. “Bryce felt like he could have won that. Bryan was happy; most of the singles players were happy. Collin and Kirkland really felt like they should have won… I’m sure that [they] were disappointed. They should have won that and they know it, but just wasn’t their day. Camden and Benaiah weren’t very happy; they wished they played better, but some days just are the best days.”

The team’s next meet, Centennial League, will be played Monday, May 9 at Highland Park.

“In my opinion, we should win League and we should probably win Regionals,” Lambert said. “I think we’re the best team in both of those tournaments. I obviously have super high expectations for us and I try to impose that on the rest of the team, to have high expectations for each other and for themselves. I think everybody would be disappointed if we don’t win League.”

With the dual against Olathe Northwest done, Allen is excited as well.

“We got the meet in. It’s a big deal to play a Kansas City school,” Allen said. “They’re the best and one match and we would have tied. I’m proud of the boys. They did a great job. Monday we’re supposed to go to League. I think we’re ready. We all want to win that big time. It’s ours to lose. We’ve got to take care of the singles and the doubles and take this away from [Washburn] Rural. I’m excited. I’m happy. I want to play.”