LebCo Girls Tennis Season Outlook: 2024

The 2024 season is underway. We wanted to take the opportunity to give context to what each LebCo team looks like this season. While there are some teams with solid veterans and others who will rely on development, the one thing that is for sure is that you can expect some exciting tennis from each of our local teams this season.

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   Annville-Cleona Dutchmen 

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3

Head Coach: Michael Hall – 2nd season

Key Returning Players: Amelia Summers (Sr.), Olivia Morrissey (Sr.), Gabriella Tetzlaff (Jr.), Nia Hafey (So.)

Key Newcomers: Hannah White (Sr.), Kaleena Espada (Jr.), Mackenzie Long (Jr.), Abigail Dolan (Jr.), Charlotte Clyde (So.)

Key Losses: Laney Kreider, Hope Wagner (Lebanon Valley College)

Outlook: 2023 was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Dutchmen. In the rebuild, they went 11-2 to finish 2nd in Section 3 and qualified for the District 3 Playoffs. This record-setting team was led by Laney Kreider, who finished her high school career with 62 wins, the most in Annville Tennis history. Hope Wagner, the co-captain, won 25 matches last season. Both Kreider and Wagner have now graduated. However, this does not signal an actual rebuild for Coach Michael Hall’s squad, as the returning players have worked hard in the off-season and are showing they are not satisfied with just having one year of success. They will be led by seniors Amelia Summers and Olivia Morrissey, with junior Gabriella Tetzlaff and sophomore Nia Hafey also looking to play large roles in the program’s continued success. Additionally, there is a large group of players who will be competing for varsity time this season. One thing that they will not do this year is surprise anyone like they did last year. This culture of high expectations can result in long-term success if managed correctly. That said, Hall knows he has a good team but is much more concerned about how the players use the game of tennis to become good people. However, look for the Dutchmen to develop character while winning their fair share of matches once again this season.

     Cedar Crest Falcons 

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1

Head Coach: Julia Bowersox – 1st season

Key Returning Players: Katie Idgunji (Sr.), Aubrey Gard (Sr.), Rosalia Mannino (Sr.)

Key Newcomers: Kara Cawley (Fr.), Lexi Ramsey (Fr.)

Key Losses: Kaitlyn Do, Annie Forry, Madeleine Kase

Outlook: Last year, the Falcons battled throughout the season, playing in a stacked Section 1 and finishing with a 5-9 record. Since last year, they’ve lost several key players to graduation, including Kaitlyn Do, Annie Forry, and Madeleine Kase. The good news is that first-year head coach Julia Bowersox is returning a solid set of seniors led by Katie Idgunji and a large roster that is made up of mostly young players. From the crop of young talent, freshmen Kara Cawley and Lexi Ramsey are showing some early promise. While this season may be difficult in terms of a win-loss perspective, with the large numbers, you can expect this Cedar Crest group to develop rapidly, making them more competitive with each match.

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    ELCO Raiders  

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3

     Lebanon Cedars

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 1

Head Coach: Morgan Brady – 2nd season

Key Returning Players:   Whitney Bartal (Sr.), AmyMarie Castro Taylor (Sr.), Nevaeh Colon (Sr.), Scarlett Meyer (Jr.), Sally Zheng (Jr.), Sarah Zheng (Jr.)

Key Newcomers: Yuna Mercedes (Jr.), Monroe Carpenter-Sales (Fr.), Esmeralda Chavez (Fr.), Bekah Williams (Fr.)

Key Losses: Iris Krouse, Lina Zheng

Outlook: When Coach Morgan Brady took over the Lebanon program, the team had trouble winning any games, let alone sets or matches. Immediately, a culture of hard work began to take effect, and the team was able to win its first match in several years. Now in her 2nd season at the helm, Brady has seen her roster continue to grow with veterans, such as seniors Nevaeh Colon and AmyMarie Castro Taylor, along with several younger, inexperienced players who are just learning the sport. That said, expect this group of Cedars to continue to show maturity and the willingness to go to battle each match. However, they will be doing so against an increased level of competition, having made the leap to Section 1 following realignment. While this may result in fewer wins on paper, it will surely make the players more competitive as a whole and also show how unbreakable they are as individuals.

Northern Lebanon Vikings

Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3

   Palmyra Cougars

Mid-Penn Conference – Keystone Division

Head Coach: Matt Opilo – 25th season

Key Returning Players: Ava Cuzzolina (Sr.), Dahlia Dokmenler (Sr.),  Elaina Potter (Sr.), Rachel Ross (Sr.), Rylee Sherwood (Sr.), Mia Fair (Jr.), Anna Rashid (So.)

Key Losses: None

Outlook: While many teams need help filling roster spots with experienced players, this is not one of the challenges that the Cougars will be facing in 2024. In fact, they are returning all of their top players from last season, including their top three Singles players (Elaina Potter, Dahlia Dokmenler, & Ava Cuzzolina) and their top two pairings in Doubles (Rylee Sherwood/Rachel Ross & Mia Fair/Anna Rashid). This unit won the LebCo Championship last year on their way to finishing with a 10-6 record. As they push the limits, capitalizing upon their experience, Palmyra will look to improve upon that mark this season.