The Future Is Now

Not so much, says Coach Allyson Brand.

 

Sure, Elizabeth Mendoza, a four-time All-League of Independent Schools and All-VISAA and three-time All-Metro performer, who twice earned state and metro player of the year honors, now competes for Virginia Tech.

 

Sure, Sophie Sands (No. 4 singles, No. 1 doubles), McKenna Boardman (No. 5 singles, No. 3 doubles), and Abby Rosenstock (No. 6 singles, No. 3 doubles), all highly decorated, also headed off to college in August.

 

The tennis cupboard isn’t bare, however. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

 

Returning are last year’s No. 2, Rita Taylor, and No. 3, Caroline Lee, who also comprised the Cougars’ No. 2 doubles team, and a supremely talented group of 8th graders, many of whom could have played at the varsity level last fall if 7th grade participation was allowed under league and state guidelines, has moved up.

 

While on paper it’s an almost-back-to-the-drawing-board situation, hope reigns supreme, and the future, actually, could be very well now.

 

“This year is different,” said Brand, who’s heading Collegiate’s girls tennis program for the fifth season. “We haven’t had much change in our starting lineup [the past three years]. It’s fun to have the new energy. Just from the first matches, the younger players are ready. We definitely have great potential.”

With Sidwell Friends on deck Friday, the Cougars stand 5-0 following victories over Trinity Episcopal, Norfolk Academy, and St. Catherine’s in the past week.

 

Lee, a freshman, has claimed the No. 1 singles spot, Taylor, a junior, plays No. 2, freshman Kishori Vohra No. 3, and 8th graders Ellie Purcell, Jaya Agarwal, and Sloan Sullivan Nos. 4, 5, and 6, respectively.

 

The doubles teams, at least for now, are Lee and Taylor at No. 1, Vohra and Agarwal at No. 2, and Sullivan and 8th grader Ella Williams at No. 3.

 

“Our doubles lineup is very fluid since we have so many new players,” Brand said. “We’re trying to find the best combinations of styles of play and chemistry on the court. I have confidence that we have a deep team and am comfortable playing lower in our singles and doubles ladder if and when needed.”

 

Coaching young players untested at the varsity level who will square off with opponents as much as five years older presents challenges, but they’re good challenges.

 

“We stay positive with them,” Brand said. “We encourage them and [let them know] that they have the shots and they have to believe they can execute when they’re out there. We always start out with team goals. What we really try to focus on are the daily habits. We’re not necessarily thinking long term yet.”

 

In training sessions, the Cougars break into two equal teams. The purpose, albeit subtle, is to heighten competitive spirit with the hope that when tournament time arrives, squad members, young and seasoned, will defend the program’s legacy of excellence with passion, confidence, and excellence without apprehension.

 

“Here’s an example from yesterday,” Brand said one recent afternoon as she sat in the team room in the Williams-Bollettieri Tennis Complex and waited out a weather delay. “On one court, we were doing one drill. We put two girls from one intra-squad team against two from the other. Then we did rotations. On another court, we did a doubles drill and a volley drill on another and a serve drill on another. When we rotated, I kept track of how many points they earned for their team. Once we started adding up points, it’s interesting how it raised their intensity level.”

 

So far, so good.

 

“The younger players are ready for singles matches,” Brand said. “That’s what you play first when you’re younger. They haven’t played as much doubles that you see at a higher level. Every day in practice, we’re getting them to play against girls that have been on the team so they can see the harder balls and the variety [of shots]. We want them to see that it’s OK to make mistakes. The important thing is to learn from them, where to go from them, and how to grow from them.”

 

Four seniors, Betsy Clarke, Carly Barnes, Annie Reed, and Perry Smith, serve as captains. Their primary role is to serve as positive role models and inspirations for the younger generation.

 

“We definitely have a lot of new and young players, but, honestly, they all fit in, which is awesome,” Clarke said. “It really doesn’t feel like we have a wide variety of ages. It almost feels like we’re all the same age. The captains aren’t even in the [regular starting] lineup, so our job is to bring the team together and make sure everyone feels like they’re contributing. The younger girls contribute with wins on the court. The older girls contribute because they’re mentors.”

 

With a younger lineup, are the expectations for championships lower?

 

“We don’t feel that way at all,” Clarke added. “This year, there’s almost more of an expectation to win. People are more excited about the new players and their potential and what they can add.”

 

In the annual day-by-day march to tournament time in November, the question, then, is: Can this new-look Collegiate tennis team deliver yet again?

 

“Every year is different,” Brand said. “It’s usually not until a month or six weeks into the season when you’ve played every team once and see how you do. That’s when you’re thinking, Is this a possibility?”

~Weldon Bradshaw