Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Here is a preview of each Press-area girls tennis team that responded to our preseason survey in alphabetical order.
CLAY EAGLES
Veteran head coach Walt Ralph enters his 31st season leading the Clay girls tennis program.
The Eagles are coming off a fifth-place finish in the NLL’s Cardinal Division, but they return a slew of upperclassmen, led by the senior group of Eliza Kinn, Kaydance Sutter, Addison Ziegelhofer and Abby Lewis. They’re joined by juniors Ellie Haynes and Lindy Geise, as well as sophomore Xylah Beauregard.
Haynes produced a team-best four victories at first singles last year, and she picked up a win at second singles, a flight that was led in wins by Beauregard’s five triumphs. Sutter won a pair of matches at third singles. Kinn (7-7) and Sutter (6-7) went a combined 13-14 at first doubles, while Lewis (8-7) and Geise (7-7) went a combined 15-14 at second doubles.
Assisted by Victoria Gallaher, Ralph is looking forward to his team using lessons learned last year.
“We will look to capitalize on the tough season that we had last year, which allowed us to grow our young team,” he said. “We will have experienced tennis players who are strong athletes in each spot in the lineup. Our goal will be to take positive steps forward and compete fiercely in each and every match.”
OAK HARBOR ROCKETS
The Oak Harbor girls tennis team, which will be led by 24th-year head coach Rick LaFountain, finished 8-10 overall last year before placing second in the inaugural NBC Championship.
The Rockets had five All-NBC selections last year. They’ll have to replace graduates Emma Bradbury, a three-year letterwinner and the NBC runner-up in first singles, Isabel Hand, a four-year letterwinner who finished second in first doubles along with Sam Benner, and Natalia Wagner, who played third singles and second doubles, the latter of which she was runner-up in the conference along with Ava Sautter.
“The seniors brought fine leadership to the team, and they gave it all on the court,” LaFountain said. “They will be missed.”
Benner and Sautter are among nine returners, as are Dakota Gluth, who finished as the NBC runner-up in third singles, Brooklyn Garcia, who finished fourth in the NBC in second singles, Taylor Gluth, Gracie Reebel, Isabel Bolen, Kierstyn Lacey and Mia Mendoza.
LaFountain will be assisted by Greg LaFountain and Bo Hermes.
WAITE INDIANS
Head coach Kayla (May) Erving helped guide Waite to a 7-5 record and a second-place finish in the City League in her first season last year. This fall, the hope is to compete for a league title.
“I am hoping to win cities this year since we are returning the majority of our team,” she said. “Lima Senior is a tough competitor, as well as Scott, but we are hoping to take it all.”
Something Waite will have to overcome is the loss of Carena Hernandez to graduation.
“She is a tremendous loss,” Erving said. “She played first and second singles, and we are asking a lot from our doubles to become singles players. Carena was fearless and didn’t mind playing on her own. She was always wanting to improve each day.”
A key returner, Izabel Parga, also played first and second singles last year after competing in doubles her first two seasons.
“As a singles player, she has made a tremendous impact, and she’s hoping to take first place in singles,” Erving said.
