When River Bluff girls’ tennis head coach Brian Lim started the brand-new tennis season, he knew it would be different.

The defending Class 5A champions have had to adhere to new guidelines set in place by the SC High School League and Lexington County School District 1. However, the girls have been playing throughout the summer since many tennis facilities were open.

Lim has done everything he can to ensure that his team follows the guideline in order to have a chance to play a full season.

Because of restrictions on travel and changed dates, the girls tennis team will play in only 2 tournaments along with just region contests.

With 6 of the 9 girls from last years’ state championship team gone, Lim looks forward to seeing how well the younger girls step up. By having a young team, it means the girls have an opportunity to gain experience that will stay with them for years to come. So far, the Lady Gators have excelled with an undefeated record in Region 5-5A.

Because of so many unknowns from the lineup and other conditions, the season will definitely be tough. Yet Lim believes his team “must control what they control” and he works hard every practice and match to help the girls tennis to get better.

Tennis is definitely a sport that can be played during the covid-19 pandemic. But there are some aspects of the sport that should not get overlooked and need to be addressed to ensure proper social distancing can occur during changeovers and doubles.