The Jets received a big boost with the addition of Claire Luetch, an exchange student from Germany, who will play No. 1 singles.
Junior Danielle Giles moves from No. 3 singles to No. 2 singles. Freshman Alana Owen or junior Maycie Asher will be at No. 3 singles.
Senior Katelyn Yarling moves from No. 2 singles to No. 1 doubles, where she will team with senior Kiersten Gross, who played No. 2 doubles last season. Senior Erica Bostic returns at No. 2 doubles and will be joined by sophomore Annie Ashbrook.
Junior Natalie Taylor is also battling for a No. 2 doubles spot for Hauser, which went 11-5 last season.
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“I have a lot of new players this year that are showing a lot of potential,” Hauser coach Elizabeth Sexton said. “Claire has some experience and is a pretty consistent, quick player, and the girls that are coming back this year are doing well.”
The Panthers return six of their seven regulars as they look to improve on a 5-17 season.
Sophomore Amy Gasper, who played No. 1 singles last year, also is running track this spring and will move to No. 1 doubles, where she will team with returning junior Elaine Lykins. Sophomore Avis McGovern moves from No. 2 singles to No. 1 singles, and junior Kristen Nottingham moves from No. 3 to No. 2 singles.
Senior Cassie Leach and junior Hailee Harmon return at No. 2 doubles. Freshman Rebecca Driver steps in at No. 3 singles.
“We’re still kind of young and kind of inexperienced in spots,” Jennings coach Deron Brown said. “But I think it’s going to be a good year for us, maybe not in wins and losses, but in competitiveness.”
The Eagles went 14-4 and won their fourth consecutive Western Indiana Conference title, but lost their top two players.
Senior Mary Kate McCann, who played No. 1 doubles, will likely begin the season at No. 1 singles. Sophomore Elizabeth Huls, who played No. 3 singles, also will play singles.
Senior Sarah Kurdziel, who played No. 1 doubles; juniors Ashley Pugh and Corina Greiner, who played No. 2 doubles; and freshman Hallee Miller could play singles or doubles.
Seniors Katie Higgins and Kylene Warne, sophomore Sarah Barrick and junior Kiara Unsworth are battling for the remaining varsity spot.
“We’re still trying to figure out the lineup,” Brown County coach Thom Miller said. “We’ll probably be moving it around at the beginning of the season. We’re in a good position where we have several girls who have the ability to play at the varsity level. We don’t have the strength at the top we had with Josie (Gray) and Whitney (Williamson) last year, but we definitely have more depth.”
The Lancers return six varsity players from a team that went 4-10 last season.
Junior Lilly Parmer and sophomore Vanessa Hoskins, who played No. 1 and No. 2 singles, are battling for those two spots. Sophomore Allie Schooler and senior Bailey Downton, who teamed at No. 2 doubles, will move up to No. 1 doubles.
Junior Miranda Burton, who played No. 3 singles, will play No. 2 doubles with senior Ashlyn Streeval, who played No. 1 doubles. Victoria Garcia, an exchange student from Spain, and sophomore Mikala Lain are battling for the No. 3 singles spot.
“They’re very dedicated girls,” Edinburgh coach Rachel Matusik said. “They’re hard workers, and we definitely have experience. We’d definitely like to finish at the top of our conference.”
The Owls suffered a big blow when junior Emma Wood, who earned All-State doubles honors with senior teammate Karen Dringenburg, broke her collarbone. Wood could return in May.
Helping ease that loss is the addition of Julia Adam, an exchange student from Germany, who will play No. 1 singles. Senior Marley Vehslage moves from No. 1 singles to No. 2 singles, and senior Kennedy Richart remains at No. 3 singles.
Junior Lindsey Hume will play No. 1 doubles until Wood returns.
Sophomore Hallie Crenshaw moves from No. 2 singles to No. 2 doubles, where she will team with sophomore Megan Baurle, who played No. 2 doubles in the regional for Seymour, which went 18-3.
“With some of the injuries and some of the changes to the lineup, the first few weeks will be a little bit of experimentation,” Seymour co-coach Nathan Otte said. “We’re hoping to be one of the top teams in the conference, and if we can win sectional again, we’re hoping to make a dent in regional.”
The Cougars have a new coach in Mark Voss and will look to improve on a 2-13 season.
Junior Aurora Willman, who played No. 2 singles, will likely move up to No. 1 singles. Senior Shelby Nierman, who played No. 1 doubles, moves to No. 2 singles, and freshman Courtney Barker steps in at No. 3 singles to begin the season.
Senior Allison Hackman returns at No. 1 doubles, where she will team with junior Maddie Lucas. Senior Sydney Stuckwisch and sophomore newcomer Kendyll Austin will play No. 2 doubles.
“I’m very optimistic with our team,” Voss said. “We have a lot of experience and some newcomers, and our newcomers are experienced. They’re not overpowering by any means, but they’re pretty solid.”
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The 2015 girls tennis schedules for Bartholomew County schools:
Columbus East
Wednesday;Bloomington North;6 p.m.
Friday;Brown County;4:30 p.m.
April 13;at Columbus North;4:30 p.m.
April 14;at Shelbyville;5 p.m.
April 16;Seymour;4:45 p.m.
April 18;at Brownsburg Invitational;TBA
April 20;at Greensburg;5 p.m.
April 21;Whiteland;5 p.m.
April 23;Madison;5 p.m.
April 27;Jennings County;5 p.m.
April 30;at Greenwood;5 p.m.
May 4;Bedford North Lawrence;5:30 p.m.
May 6;East Central;5 p.m.
May 7;at Batesville;5:15 p.m.
May 11;HHC Tournament;5:30 p.m.
May 13;HHC Tournament;TBA
May 15;HHC Tournament;TBA
Columbus North
Thursday;at Seymour;5:15 p.m.
Saturday;at Floyd Central Invitational;9:30 a.m.
April 13;Columbus East;4:30 p.m.
April 16;at Perry Meridian;6 p.m.
April 17;at Jeffersonville Invitational;7 p.m.
April 18;at Jeffersonville Invitational;9 a.m.
April 22;at North Central;5 p.m.
April 23;Southport;5:30 p.m.
April 27;at Bloomington North;6 p.m.
April 29;Greensburg;5 p.m.
April 30;Franklin Central;6 p.m.
May 4;Center Grove;5 p.m.
May 5;at Bloomington South;5:30 p.m.
May 7;at Lawrence Central;5 p.m.
May 9;Conference Indiana at Bloomington South;10 a.m.
May 12;at Carmel;5:30 p.m.
May 14;Greenwood;4:30 p.m.
May 16;Columbus North Round-Robin;10 a.m.
May 18;at Terre Haute South;6 p.m.
Hauser
Tuesday;Jennings County;5 p.m.
Thursday;at Knightstown;5 p.m.
April 14;at Brown County;4:30 p.m.
April 16;at Edinburgh;4:30 p.m.
April 18;at Waldron Invitational;9 a.m.
April 20;Morristown;4:30 p.m.
April 23;at Waldron;4:30 p.m.
April 29;at Trinity Lutheran;5:30 p.m.
May 1;Eastern Hancockl5:30 p.m.
May 4;Indianapolis Lutheran;4:30 p.m.
May 6;at Indian Creek;4:30 p.m.
May 11;Edinburgh;4:30 p.m.
May 12;Indian Creek;4:30 p.m.
May 14;Southwestern (Shelby);4:30 p.m.
May 19;Triton Central;4:30 p.m.
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