The Girls’ Tennis Team is composed of a returning top-ranked player in the state while adding 13 brand new players to the sport. Most of the players, freshmen and sophomores, are new to tennis but bring their experience from other sports into the mix.

“Those who have experience on the team as a group of five last year are adjusting well to a new dynamic that a larger team inevitably brings,” said coach Bergeron.

The new players are learning a lot from the upperclassmen, forming new connections on and off the court. The younger athletes are also learning more about sport specific strategies including double strategies like simple returns, covering the back line, and playing the net.

A handful of freshman athletes who play soccer together joined the team this year including Sarah Rosingana, Ellery Herrick, Lucy Orlando, Evelyn Rush, Hadley Foster. Emily Beal, Erica Nygren, Julia Reed and Kayla McLean also joined.

All in all, this team seems to love being part of a team, which is what it’s all about. The girls want to improve and are having more fun than expected. The varsity and top tier players are supportive of the newcomers and vice versa.

Senior captain Abby Emerson did not lose a match in team competition last spring. Unseeded in the MPA singles tournament, she advanced to round 16 before falling to the fourth seed. This season, Emerson is expected to go far in the state singles tournament, depending on where she is seeded.

Ainsley Christianson and Clara Schvets are also senior captains and expect to be competitive. Christianson returns with nine wins, and Schvets is returning with a strong performance despite missing a season.

May 20 through the 22nd is when the MPA tournament brings its 52 regional qualifiers down to four semi-finalists who are scheduled to play for the title on May 23 at Lewiston High School.

State-wide a total of 225 girls entered regional qualifying.

Qualifying for the singles tournament begins Saturday, May 14. According to the Portland Press Herald, the top two seeds return among boys, but the girls’ field is wide open.

In other sports, playoffs are approaching and begin June 3.