Earning
It

Republic’s girls tennis team won 14 matches last fall and played its way to the district championship round. Six of the top eight players from that lineup are back this season. And in his second year back as head coach, Dan Vales says the ones behind them spent the summer catching up.

“This summer we had probably a lot more buy-in than the previous summers. We had a ton of girls out there working to get better,” Vales said. “And a big difference we’ve had from previous summers is not only were kids doing our open courts left and right, but also kids were out doing lessons and working at Cooper. So a lot of our top players are out there grinding, trying to get better and putting a lot of work in. And so I’m really proud of them.”

And the first place all that work showed up was at tryouts.

“I’m looking at at least 13 or 14 deep where I feel like they could be varsity players for a lot of schools in southwest Missouri,” Vales said. That competition is going to help everyone get better.

The Lady Tigers do lose two pieces off the top of the lineup. Mati Carpenter played number one singles and went to state in doubles with Aubree Tinsley. Payton Schroeder is gone, too.

“Mati was an outstanding one for us, had a great season, so we will miss her,” Vales said. “But overall, I think we are stronger because of the enhanced skill of all the players coming back, of all the work they put in.”

Claire Norris played number two singles and number two doubles last season, and she comes back at the top of the preseason rankings.

“She’s got a great mindset on the court. A lot of our girls do, but she’s not too high, not too low,” Vales said. “Has a really solid forehand, hits a good looping topspin ball, and super consistent. And so we’re expecting big things from her.”

Marlee Vasquez played three singles and three doubles a year ago, and then she spent the summer on the courts more than just about anybody. The soccer field sits right next to the tennis courts, and soccer coach Jesus Zuniga kept seeing the same girl out there.

“Marlee worked on her game a lot this summer. She was basically a gym rat out here,” Vales said. “Even Coach Z was asking, ‘Who is that kid? She’s just out here all the time.’ So she really worked on her game hard this summer.”

Paelyn Kaufmann is a junior near the top of the lineup, and she’s already a third-year varsity player. “She’s super consistent and can put a ton of balls in play, so she’ll be a force to be reckoned with,” Vales said.

Abbi Bremer played five singles last season, and she put in the same kind of summer as a lot of her teammates. “She played a bunch at Cooper, was doing lessons and grinding, and she’s super consistent, so she’s going to be a force,” Vales said.

Then there’s Tinsley, who did something last year nobody at Republic had done before.

“She’s the first girl we’ve ever had go undefeated at their lineup spot for a season. At six singles she didn’t lose all year,” Vales said. “I would expect she’ll probably end up working her way to a higher spot, but no matter what spot she plays she’s going to be really tough.”

Sienna Blankenship played three doubles last season, and Vales thinks the rest of her athletic résumé shows up when she gets to the net.

“She just has great instincts. [She] just knows how to move around the net and be aggressive and volley, which translates really well to doubles,” Vales said.

Two freshmen have played their way into the conversation, too. Elaina Antonuk and Leighton Riffe both won matches in summer tournaments, and Riffe reached the finals of the Republic Summer Open.

“Elaina just has great natural ground strokes, can really hit the ball well,” Vales said. “And Leighton’s got a huge forehand. Once we’re able to corral that and get it consistent, she’s going to be really tough. She can really just spin the heck out of the ball on the forehand side. So I’m really excited watching her play.”

Aubrie McCord, Isabelle Basta, Bethany Eddings and Sawyer Teeter round out the preseason top 12. With that many players close together, the order isn’t likely to stay the same all year.

“You’d like to know your lineup, but there’s definitely a possibility of changes, especially with some of our newer players or players that are improving,” Vales said. “The girls understand that it’s a meritocracy, really. As people’s skills improve, they’re going to have the opportunity to play a higher spot if their skills justify where they need to be.”

Vales expects doubles to be a strength this fall, but the lineup has to come first.

“With the depth we have… we need to figure out our lineup, one through 12, and then try to figure out what pairings work best for doubles,” Vales said. “But I expect we have three good teams.”

The Lady Tigers hosted their first-ever jamboree on Tuesday, and they’ll open the season at the Kickapoo Tournament on Friday.