2016 Girls Tennis Capsules
ARBOR VIEW
League: Class 4A Northwest League
Head coach: Brian Griffin, third season
2015 record: 3-8 (2-6 Northwest, fourth)
Returning letter winners: Eight
Top athletes: Catherine Arizmendez (Sr.), Devin Diesko (Sr.), Kahlea Kimoto (So.)
Outlook: Arizmendez (18-6 record in singles), Diesko (17-10) and Kimoto (18-6) lead a list of eight returnees for the Aggies.
“This should be a good year for Arbor View girls tennis,” Griffin said. “We have some great returners who can help us win some matches as a team, and we have some newcomers that are young and eager to learn.
“With the changes in division, we will have some tougher competition. I hope to end up with a better record than last year as a team.”
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BASIC
League: Class 4A Southeast League
Head coach: Bart Black, 20th season
2015 record: 2-9 (2-8 Southeast, fifth)
Returning letter winners: Four
Top athletes: Britney Green (Sr.), Miki Berg (So.), Crystal Klein (Sr.), Tjaden Giles (Fr.)
Outlook: The Wolves return just four letter winners but are hoping for success in one of the more challenging leagues in the state.
“It’s a young team with not much experience returning,” Black said. “We’re hoping to improve as the season progresses and earn a playoff spot.”
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BONANZA
League: Class 4A Southwest League
Head coach: Lindsay Powers, sixth season
2015 record: 10-3 (8-0 Northwest)
Top athletes: Maris Nelson (Jr.)
Outlook: The Bengals won the Northwest League last year, and return a solid singles player in Nelson.
But with only six players on this year’s roster, the Bengals will have to work hard to have similar success.
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BOULDER CITY
League: Class 3A Sunrise League
Head coach: Katy Dorne, third season
2015 record: 3-4 (3-4 Sunrise, fifth)
Returning letter winners: Six
Top athletes: Tegan Pappas (Fr.), Natalie Bowman (So.), Kyra Yamamoto (Sr.), McKenna Frazier (Sr.)
Outlook: The Eagles return six letter winners and should be in better shape to qualify for the postseason as a team.
“We are expecting a great season with our returning players and new ones,” Dorne said.
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CLARK
League: Class 4A Southwest League
Head coach: Francie Angelov, fourth season
2015 record: 9-3 (6-2 Sunset, third)
Returning letter winners: Nine
Top athletes: Esther Yi (So.), Aly Smith (So.), Michelle Zhu (Sr.), Shalini Jawserera (Sr.)
Outlook: The Chargers had one of the better Division I-A programs the last four years, but were stuck in the same league with perennial powers Faith Lutheran and The Meadows.
The move to Class 4A presents the team with different challenges, and nine letter winners return to help the Chargers shoot for a successful season.
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CORONADO
League: Class 4A Southeast League
Head coach: Luther Bohanan, eighth season
2015 record: 9-3 (8-2 Southeast, second)
Returning letter winners: Nine
Top athletes: Hannah Grossman (Jr.), Nikoleta Nikoloff (Sr.)
Outlook: The Cougars usually are in the Sunrise Region title hunt and should have the chance to be there again this year.
Nikoloff and Grossman lead a group of nine returning letter winners.
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DESERT OASIS
League: Class 4A Southwest League
Head coach: Kelly Perryman, ninth season
2015 record: 0-8 (0-8 Northwest, fifth)
Returning letter winners: Two
Top athletes: Stefanie Parlade (Jr.), Holly Dillingham (So.), Danielle Tacker (Sr.)
Outlook: Only two letter winners return for the Diamondbacks, who hope to improve during the season.
“The Lady Diamondbacks are rebuilding after losing seven seniors to graduation and are looking forward to playing five new teams in this realignment,” Perryman said.
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DESERT PINES
League: Class 3A Sunset League
Head coach: Jan Van Tuyl, sixth season
2015 record: 11-3 (6-1 Sunrise, second)
Returning letter winners: Five
Top athletes: Shelly Alvarado (Sr.), Cassandra Bueno (Sr.), Lordez Harper (Sr.), Veronica Palacios (Sr.)
Outlook: The Jaguars have shown steady improvement in recent years, but will have to make up for the loss of top singles player Ashley Palacios to graduation. Palacios will play for Dubuque University in Iowa this season.
Alvarado, who played on the No. 1 doubles team, and Bueno, who was part of the No. 2 doubles team, will be among the leaders for a team that has some early-season work to do.
“We are going to be pushed to score points this year,” said Van Tuyl, who expects Alvarado to team with incoming transfer Yazaret Arredondo at doubles and both Bueno and Veronica Palacios to play singles.
Most of the rest of the team is relatively new to the sport.
“We have worked hard this summer, but they are beginners,” Van Tuyl said. “The kids are looking forward to the season and plan on doing the very best they can.”
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FAITH LUTHERAN
League: Class 4A Northwest League
Head coach: Jeff Foley, sixth season
2015 record: 14-4 (7-1 Sunset, second)
Returning letter winners: Fourteen
Top athletes: Madison Foley (Sr.), Dina Ciulla (Sr.), Jayden Mattson (Sr.), Michelle Reiss (Sr.)
Outlook: The Crusaders transition back to Class 4A with 14 letter winners returning from last season.
Madison Foley advanced to the Division I-A state final in singles for the second time in three years last season. Ciulla was part of the doubles team that finished second at state, and Mattson and Reiss paired to finished third in the state in doubles for the second straight year.
Only two players from last year’s squad graduated.
“The talent is there to be quite competitive at the 4A level,” Jeff Foley said. “The team made the playoffs in 2010 and 2011 the last tie Faith was in 4A and is hopeful of another playoff bid this season.”
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FOOTHILL
League: Class 4A Southeast League
Head coach: Matt Iglitz, 11th season
2015 record: 7-6 (6-4 Southeast, third)
Returning letter winners: Seven
Top athletes: Caitlyn Stevenson (Sr.), Emily Campbell (Jr.)
Outlook: The Falcons return seven letter winners, but graduated seven seniors who started last year.
“We’ve got a great group of girls that are committed to improving on a daily basis,” Iglitz said. “We have a couple of nice freshmen mixed in with what we have returning. This group will only get better and better with every practice or match.”
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GREEN VALLEY
League: Class 4A Southeast League
Head coach: Kelli Grimm, second season
2015 record: 12-2 (10-0 Southeast, first)
Returning letter winners: Thirteen
Outlook: The Gators return 13 players from a team that advanced to the Sunrise Region finals last year.
“It’s an exciting season ahead, full of great prospect, based on a commitment to excellence through skill and talent,” Grimm said. “We are looking forward to a run at regional and state competitions.”
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LIBERTY
League: Class 4A Southeast League
Head coach: Kih Gourrier, 11th season
2015 record: 11-2 (8-0 Northeast, first)
Returning letter winners: Seven
Top athletes: Parker Burk (Sr.), Payton Burk (Sr.), Megan Quandt (Sr.)
Outlook: The Burk twins finished second in the Division I state doubles tournament last year and lead a group of seven returning letter winners for the Patriots.
“We have a senior-heavy team which brings plenty of experience to the courts,” Gourrier said. “This team would like to repeat their state berth from last year, but will have a difficult road moving back into a tougher division.”
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PALO VERDE
League: Class 4A Northwest League
Head coach: Zach Brandt, second season
2015 record: 14-1 (8-0 Northwest, first)
Returning letter winners: Eleven
Top athletes: Abby Lewis (Sr.), Isabella Shelton (Sr.), Alissa Till (Sr.), Kaya Richardson (So.), Shelby Graber (So.)
Outlook: The Panthers return plenty of talent from last year’s state championship team, but will have to make up for the loss of the Henderson sisters, who won the last three Division I state doubles titles together.
Chloe Henderson graduated after winning four state doubles titles, and younger sister Sophie opted not to play high school tennis.
Still, Palo Verde returns the teams of Lewis and Till, and Richardson and Graber, who advanced to the state semifinals in doubles last year.
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SHADOW RIDGE
League: Class 4A Northwest League
Head coach: Arthur Cassman, second season
2015 record: 4-5 (4-4 Southwest, third)
Top athletes: Samantha Milanovich (Sr.), Caitlyn Noorda (Sr.), Kendahl Servino (Sr.)
Outlook: The Mustangs finished third behind powerhouses Palo Verde and Bishop Gorman in the Southwest League last year.
“We are really trying hard to build a tennis culture at Shadow Ridge and looking to finish in the top four of our league and earn a trip to regionals,” Cassman said.
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SIERRA VISTA
League: Class 4A Southwest League
Head coach: Keith Ulrich, second season
2015 record: 4-5 (3-5 Sunset, sixth)
Returning letter winners: Six
Top athletes: Andrada Stanciu (So.)
Outlook: Stanciu burst onto the scene last year and won the Division I-A state singles title, the second year in a row a Mountain Lions player claimed the top prize.
She is one of six returnees for Sierra Vista.
“Andrada expects to compete for a state championship, moving up to Class 4A,” Ulrich said. “As a team, we hope to improve and finish with more wins than losses.”
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TECH
League: Class 3A Sunrise League
Head coach: Randy Michalik
2015 record: 5-3 (5-2 Sunrise, third)
Top athletes: Avery Rayos (Sr.)
Outlook: The bulk of the Roadrunners’ top players last season graduated, and Rayos is expected to be a leader on a team that hopes to learn quickly.
“This will be a rebuilding year,” Michalik said. “They are young, but enthusiastic, and we look to push for a playoff spot.”
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VALLEY
League: Class 4A Northeast League
Head coach: Jeff Barney, first season
2015 record: 8-5 (4-4 Northeast, third)
Returning letter winners: Eight
Top athletes: Annelisa Laizure (Jr.), Alexandra Jianu (So.), Claire Angel (So.), Alexandra Angelov (So.)
Outlook: The Vikings finished third in the Northeast League last year, but the top two teams both moved to the Southeast League due to realignment.
“It’s a team with eight returning players that hopes to compete for the a division title,” Barney said.
