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The four area girls tennis teams – La Salle-Peru, St. Bede, Mendota and Princeton – all have a mix of veteran and new players with some teams more experienced than others.
The Cavaliers return four NewsTribune All-Area players, including Player of the Year Carlie Miller, while no other team brings back an all-area player.
Here’s a look at the four teams:
Coach: Aaron Guenther
Top returning players: Carlie Miller, Sr.; Ava Lannen, Sr.; Emmie Hachenberger, Sr.; Izzy Pohar, Sr.
Top newcomers: Ella Kamke, Jr.; Kaylie Reese, Jr.; Brianna Keith, Sr.; Rylee Waite, Sr.
Worth noting: The Cavaliers have a strong core of returning players, led by state qualifiers Miller and Lannen. Miller, the reigning NewsTribune Girls Tennis Player of the Year, placed top 24 in the state in singles, while Lannen qualified for state in doubles with now graduated Catherine Engels. Hachenberger and Pohar both played doubles in the varsity lineup last year. Kamke and Reese are coming up from the JV and are expected to make an impact, while Keith and Waite are returning varsity players looking to crack the lineup. " The girls have made it their goal to win the (Interstate 8) conference and sectional this year,” Guenther said. “While this is a lofty goal, it’s one that isn’t out of reach. We finished third in the conference and second in the sectional last year, so returning as many players as we are is a good start. But they all know it takes more work if they want to accomplish these team goals.” Miller will once again play No. 1 singles, while Lannen and Hachenberger will pair up at No. 1 doubles. The rest of the lineup is undecided. “We have a roster with a lot of athleticism and versatility, so challenge matches are going to really determine who plays where,” Guenther said. Guenther said Miller and Lannen have made it a goal to return to state and improve on their finishes.
Coach: Jill Urban-Bollis
Top returning players: Morgan Nawa, Sr.; Abby Michels, Sr.; Mia Morrow, Sr.; Allyssa Schirz, Sr.; Brianna Torres, Sr.; Kristal De La Torre, Sr.; Lily Rauh, Sr.; Olivia Orteza, Jr.; Rubi De La Torre, Jr.; Kristina Penaverde, Jr.; Madalyn Dittmar, Jr.
Top newcomers: Allyssa Engels, Sr.; Jeanna Ladzinski, Jr.; Ella Englehaupt, Jr.; Genavyve Barnes, Fr.; Ava Latin, Fr.
Worth noting: Nawa will lead a large group of returning players for the Bruins after going 10-5 as part of St. Bede’s No. 1 doubles team last season. She’ll be back playing doubles, but her partner is uncertain. “We are looking to pair her up with a player who will bring energy to the team and have another successful doubles season,” Urban-Bollis said. Engels is back after a year of recovery from shoulder surgery, while Michels is a veteran player who is recovering from an injury. Rauh played singles last season, while Morrow, Schirz and Krystal De La Torre played doubles. Orteza and Rubi De La Torre showed promise as a doubles team last year. “We will explore options to see which doubles teams have the right chemistry and will work well together,” Urban-Bollis said. Urban-Bollis said she is looking for players to reach their potential. “We are definitely looking forward to a productive and positive tennis season,” Urban-Bollis said. “It is great to be back in a normal season, and it is our goal to stay healthy with the hope that the season will bring out the best in each of our players.”
Coach: Shawn LeRette
Top returning players: Talya Schwaegerman, Sr.; Alexis Finley, Sr.
Top newcomers: Mariah Figueroa, Jr.; Natalia Salinas, Jr.; Julia Krueger, Sr.; Isabelle Escatel, Sr.
Worth noting: Schaegerman and Finley are returning from last year’s starting lineup. Schwaegerman was 10-4 at No. 3 doubles, while Finley went 8-6 at No. 2 singles. LeRette said the lineup positions are up in the air, but Schwaegerman, Figueroa and Salinas will be in the mix for singles, while Finley, Krueger and Escatel will play doubles. “This team does not have a lot of experience,” LeRette said. “So, we are going to go out and hopefully get better each time we play. By the end of the year, who knows? We could have some pretty good players as long as they keep working like they have been this past week.”
Coach: Connie Lind
Top returning players: Kailee Winner, Sr.; Sadie Thornton, Sr.; Emile Merkel, So.; Nora Schneider, So.; Abby Ward, Jr.
Top newcomers: Erah Goodale, Jr.; Kambri Fisher, Jr.; Katie Kammerer, Jr.; Olivia Longeville, Jr.; Josie Leone, Jr.
Worth noting: The Tigresses have a pair of returning seniors in Winner and Thornton who will team up at No. 1 doubles this season. Winner played No. 1 singles last year, while Thornton played No. 2 doubles last fall. A pair of sophomores will fill the singles positions in Merkel and Schneider. Merkel played No. 2 singles last year and Schneider was a part of the No. 3 doubles team. Lind said who will play which singles spot is still up in the air. Ward played No. 3 doubles season and will do so once again, but with a new partner in Goodale. Fisher and Kammerer played No. 1 doubles on the freshman/sophomore level last year and are moving into the No. 2 doubles spot on the varsity. “Our goals are to always give 100 percent and to have fun while doing it,” Lind said.