Hillcrest High boys’ tennis team is vying for its third straight region championship. 

“We were undefeated last year in region, and we’re a strong team again this year,” head coach Creighton Chun said. “Last year, we tied for eighth at state; we’re looking at improving that this season.” 

The team’s top player, sophomore Harith Sathish, has the same optimism.  

“We can make it farther at state than we did last year,” he said. 

Senior captain Rohan Khakural said the team will rely upon the strong play from underclassmen. 

“We’re a good team and state will be a challenge, but we’re up for it,” he said. 

Many players dedicated time in the offseason to ensure they were prepared for this year’s competition, sophomore Kabir Kandukuri said. 

The season started with a 5-0 victory over Riverton, but the Huskies faced setbacks in matches against Alta and Orem, losing 0-5 in both. Several players were away competing in the state FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) tournament. 

“That was rough,” Chun said. “There’s always region and state conflicts with other clubs and activities and year-end testing.” 

Several team members are also involved in International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement tests, as they are among the top students academically. Last year, the team achieved an overall 3.92 grade point average. 

The Huskies bounced back from the losses, defeating Tooele 4-1. However, a few days later, Chun and his players began discussing potential changes to the lineup. 

“My No. 1 player, Harith and my No. 2 player (freshman Jaden Ngo) said they wanted to play one doubles to try it out,” he said. “They’ve played together before in a UTR (universal tennis rating) tournament over the summer. They’re thinking they may finish higher as doubles in state, possibly competing for the championship.” 

This change would involve moving his No. 1 doubles team, Khakural and Kandukuri, to the No. 2 spot, which Chun believes could work well for the state tournament. 

The adjustment would mean junior Crew Hutchings, currently playing No. 3 singles, would move up to the No. 1 singles position. 

“We could do it. Two years ago, Crew play second singles and he surprised everybody to win the region championship,” Chun said. “But I think Crew has a good chance of going further in third singles if he stays there.” 

His current No. 2 double players, freshman Alton Gerard and sophomore Max Kluss, would play in the No. 2 and No. 3 singles spots, respectively. 

“You have to put them in order by UTR,” Chun said. “We’re looking at trying Harith and Jaden at doubles to see.” 

With some top players having moved or had other commitments, the team is still working on finalizing the lineup. Several players are vying for the last varsity spot. 

“We have four players fighting for that last varsity spot; we just need to decide what spot is available,” Chun said. “It is a work in progress right now. It surprised me when our top players suggested it.” 

The contenders for the final spot include senior Vineet Subramanyan, junior Om Sanghvi and sophomore Alex Liu. 

For many of Chun’s varsity players, tennis is more than just a sport—it’s a passion. Sathish, who grew up on the tennis courts, appreciates how the sport allows him to measure his success. 

“I started playing when I was 2 1/2," he said. “My interest probably came because my dad played throughout earning his master's degree in Boston, and I would go watch him play in these small tournaments. I fell in love with the sport. Afterward, I would get to play. I started playing competitive when I turned 10 or 11 and I’ve won a few level six tournaments. I like tennis, you can express yourself, your style and your mentality. You’re competitive; it's you versus someone else, and you get to show what you're capable of.”