Led by state-medalist Allison Ding, the Thomas Jefferson girls tennis team returns a solid core in 2023.
The Cavaliers return all but one varsity performer from last year’s squad that went 14-1, won a district title and ended the season in the Class 1 state quarterfinals.
With that in mind, Cavaliers coach Tom Brumfield has the goals set high for this year’s group.
“We are very excited about the upcoming season,” Brumfield said. “The team was close to making the final four last year. The team is looking forward to having another chance of making another run for the final four.
“I have high expectations for this group of girls,” Brumfield added. “They were very successful last year and that year of experience behind them should give them a lot more confidence. We had a young team last year with a lot of 10th graders. I believe we’ll see improvement in all areas of their game. The fact that we return all but one player from last year doesn’t hurt.”
A senior, Ding placed eighth in the singles bracket at last year’s Class 1 state tournament. Ding also earned a state medal as a sophomore, finishing seventh.
Jeanna Jeyaraj, a junior, is also a returning state-qualifier in singles play.
Also back with prior starting experience are juniors Kyla Yang, Warda Morsy and Mayson Solum. Yang was the team’s No. 3 singles player a season ago, while Morsy played No. 4 singles and Solum was the No. 6 player.
“All three of these girls were very solid for us last year and have been working on their game during the offseason,” Brumfield said. “I’m excited to have them back and to see their improvements.”
Senior Emalee Ro returns after playing No. 7 singles last year.
Also back with varsity experience are sophomores Haley Orr and Jeanna Joseph.
“Haley and Jeanna were freshmen last year and have been playing and doing lessons the past few years,” Brumfield noted. “I’m looking forward to seeing how much they have progressed. They’ll be pushing for a spot in the top six.”
The team’s lone loss to graduation was Jessica Joseph, who played No. 5 singles last year.
Freshmen Esther Yang and Audrey Bowles are promising newcomers.
“Esther has been working hard the past few years improving herself,” Brumfield commented. ” She’ll be a big challenger for a top spot on the team. Looking forward to seeing her in the mix. Audrey has also been working on her tennis game during the summer. Audrey will be a nice addition to the team.”
Brumfield is confident the Cavaliers will be able to field a strong lineup.
“The strength of our team will be the depth of our lineup,” Brumfield said. “We will be solid 1-6 and beyond. The bottom part of the lineup is very important in team play. Being strong at the 4-7 spots can put you over the top in many matches. I believe we can be strong there and we should also be strong at the top of our lineup.”
Heading into any season, an area of concern is always injuries.
“We need to make sure we stay healthy and hopefully avoid injuries,” Brumfield said. “Injuries can always mess up a lineup when they are playing not only singles, but also doubles.”
Brumfield noted the Cavaliers will move from Class 1 to Class 2 this year.
“A big unknown factor at this time is the fact that we will be bumped up to Class 2,” he said. “We’ll have to wait and see where they send us at district time. This will be uncharted territory for the girls program. I’m sure we’ll see a new group of teams that we’ll have to go through. I would feel much better playing the teams from last year that we are familiar with. With that said, I also feel this group can compete at the Class 2 level. We’ll take the approach that it really doesn’t make a difference what class we’re in.”
Brumfield feels the Cavaliers have the pieces in place to put together a very successful season.
“We’ll need to take each match one at a time and be confident we can compete at district time, wherever we are sent,” Brumfield said. “This is a great group of girls that have been working hard over the offseason while looking forward to this season. As long as the girls stay focused and enjoy the game without putting pressure upon themselves, the season should be a lot of fun and one for them to remember.”
Thomas Jefferson hosts Nevada at 4:30 on Aug. 31.
