As the weather gets hotter, the courts at Camp Tevya are looking to be jam-packed with HB tennis players. After different endings to their seasons last year, both the boys and girls teams are looking to be competitive this year in Division II. Last year, the boys went 7-7 and just missed the playoffs, while the girls went 11-3 with two of those losses coming against Portsmouth, who would become the Division II state runner-up.

Boys:

The boys are headed into this year with high expectations after a past season of inconsistency. HB has a mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen to stay competitive in future years. Seniors Matt Williamson and Cam Vahe will be the leaders on a team with strong underclassmen. Nick Vahe ‘20 and David Cherkassky ‘19 lead the underclassmen group that looks to compete for some of the top spots in the division. Williamson believes the X-factor for the season is how the 3-6 seeds perform. “Our top two (seeds) should win most of their matches, the key is going to be how the guys at the bottom do. In order to win most of our matches, we need some guys to step up a little.”

The team is hoping to return to the playoffs after missing out four years in a row. Coach Jim McCann, entering his seventh year at the helm of the boys team, has high hopes for this group: “This team might be the most talented I’ve had.” McCann hopes to improve from last year’s record of 7-7 and hopefully be among the top teams such as Portsmouth and Lebanon.

Williamson and the other seniors are looking for one last run with Coach McCann, who has made tennis enjoyable for everyone and coming to practice fun.

End of season prediction: Boys show major improvement from last year and make the playoffs.

Girls:

Last season, the HB girls tennis team was one of the top teams in the division, finishing in 3rd place during the regular season and making it to the semi-finals of the state tournament. For this upcoming season, Coach Marie Salamone believes health will be the key to success: “We have a smaller team this year, so we can’t afford to have anyone injured or sick for a match, otherwise we might have to forfeit.”

There are eight girls on the team and six are needed for a match. This year the team returns Telegraph player of the year, Courtney Koran ‘17, along with juniors Maddie McCann, Emily Spooner, and Julia Stam. With a strong core that is returning, the team has the chance to compete in all of its matches. Coach Salamone believes the they have the potential to still be powerful in the division where Portsmouth, Hanover, and St. Thomas are usually competitive.

As with every season, Coach Salamone looks forward to working with the girls. “I always enjoy spending time with the girls and seeing them improve, especially with Courtney (Koran), since she’s been on the team for the past four years.”

End of season prediction: Team stays healthy for playoffs and make a deep run in the playoffs.