Athletics News
Season Preview: MS Tennis
An incredible season for the MS Indians included going 11-1 and hoisting the Southern Mountain League Championship trophy transpired in 2023. Meanwhile, the Lady Indians were young and inexperienced and put together a 1-10 mark.
Now entering a new season, a significant portion of last year’s lineups remain intact. The glaring omission is Reilly Cox, who went 10-2 at 1-singles. Elijah Pinney (10-1; 2-singles), and Jackson Davis (9-3; 3-singles) are key returning talents, alongside Fenn NeSmith (10-2 at 1-doubles), Dylan Johnson (7 wins at 2-doubles), and Maddox English (4 wins at 2-doubles).
“While the team lost some key contributors and a couple of very experienced, strong players from last year, there are still a lot of returners and new faces that will have an impact,” says coach Anthony Cox. “After winning the Southern Mountain League championship in 2023, we hope to be successful this year again.”
The girls meanwhile will lean on both Lexi Gibson and Gabriella Oliver as the lone returners from the singles lineup, as both spent time at 3-singles. Erin Sweat and Lilli Whittle also gained valuable experience last season at doubles. Catherine Harris, Emma Ivester, Tara Shryock, and Veronica Verberkmoes all were key contributors who moved on from last year’s team.
“Last year was a difficult one in terms of results for our girls team,” adds Cox. “We lacked a lot of experience and had trouble at the top of the lineup, especially competing with other teams. This year, we have some experience returning and a couple of newcomers who will hopefully solidify things. We expect this group to be competitive every match, and hopefully the results in the win column will follow. Middle school tennis is about growth not just as tennis players, but also as people. We hope the game and process will teach these young men and women how to handle difficult and stressful situations in life. Winning results will come if we approach things from the right perspective.”