August 15, 2022 at 8:37 a.m.
Team Preview: RHS girls' tennis
Hodags look to rebuild from the top to maintain GNC dominance
Team Preview: RHS girls' tennis
The Hodags are in the midst of a season-opening invite in the Green Bay area that started yesterday and concludes today. Six matches in two days against quality competition will give third-year head coach Matt Nichols an immediate look at where his team sits and how the team will have to evolve after going 15-6 in dual meets a season ago.
"They're all returning state qualifiers from the previous year. If you're returning state qualifiers, that usually speaks to the rest of your team. It's good to have it right away because every other match will be easier and it will help us to see that competition and know where we need to get to," Nichols said. "It will help us prepare for everything, conference and down the road to subsectionals and sectionals."
Rhinelander brings back seven of its 10 starters from last year but has two big holes to fill at the top of its singles lineup. The Hodags graduated GNC singles player of the year and state qualifier Annika Johnson who went 22-5 at No. 1 singles as well as No. 2 singles player Kaylee Pontell, who was a GNC champion and sectional qualifier in a 22-6 campaign.
"Those are some tough ones to fill with Annika, a very solid player who went to state, and Kaylee, another very solid player with a huge career through the program," Nichols said.
To fill those roles, Nichols said the team will likely lean on the two returning singles players from last year - junior Tori Riopel and sophomore Kelsey Winter. Riopel went 20-8 last year at No. 3 singles, where she won a conference title and qualified for sectionals. Winter was 15-12 and finished fourth in the conference at No. 4 singles last fall.
"Tori's stepping up, Kelsey's stepping up," Nichols said, noting that the two were still battling for the No. 1 spot at the end of the first week of practice. "Going from No. 3 to No. 1 and No. 4 to No. 2, or maybe even No. 4 to No. 1, it's a big step. The game changes a lot, especially going to that No. 1 position. It's no more just, 'Hey, can we keep a rally, can we move a ball?' It's, 'Hey, can we do that and then finish the point?'"
Rhinelander returns most of its doubles intact, graduating only Kylee Younker from the No. 2 flight. Seniors Taylor Riopel and Paige Oleinik went 10-11 together at the No. 1 flight last year and finished second in the GNC tournament. Sophomore Helena Wisner went 11-10 in doubles last year, spending most of her time in the No. 2 flight with Younker. Junior Kayla Tessman is also back after going 12-10 in doubles last year. Toward the end of the season, Tessman paired with fellow junior Shayla Coppenger at No. 3 doubles, but Nichols said he's leaning toward moving Coppenger to singles to round out the bottom of that lineup.
"It's just going to be hashing out who's going to work well with whom and who's sticking out for that No. 1 spot and then filling in from there," Nichols said. "Paige, Taylor and Helena are all playing very well, looking for a spot at No. 1 doubles. Kayla's also a really strong player. There was some thought of keeping her and Shayla together. They played all last year together but, looking at the singles side, we need some strength there and Shayla's a very solid singles player."
Nichols said No. 4 singles and No. 3 doubles were still up in the air at the end of the first week. Seniors Olivia Jones and Amber Bramm are the only other players returning who saw varsity action last year. Jones was 1-3 in four doubles matches while Bramm went 0-1.
Even with the holes the team needs to fill, it expects to continue to be one of the teams to beat in the GNC. The Hodags have finished either first or second every year since joining the conference in 2010 and no team returns more starters than Rhinelander, so Nichols said the team is focused on winning its 11th conference title in 13 years.
"That was the first one they came up with as a team. We'll hopefully make it happen," he said.
What helped Rhinelander last year was there was not much separation between second-place Pacelli and sixth-place Medford. That allowed Rhinelander to pull away in the standings while the competition battled each other. He said all the challengers to the Hodags' title have their strengths and weaknesses.
"Lakeland is going to be a very strong team. I don't think they lost many players and they were already competitive last year," he said. "Their doubles especially, their No. 1 and No. 2, are both returning. Their No. 1 singles is returning. They're going to be very solid. Antigo and Medford are always solid. Pacelli, great doubles. Newman, they're probably going to be the strongest singles and I could see Lakeland being the strongest doubles. Both will be great teams to play."
Rhinelander and Lakeland meet Thursday at the RHS tennis courts to open the Great Northern Conference dual meet season. That is the only conference meet in a schedule that is otherwise front-loaded with invitationals. The Hodags will host a three-team meet on Friday and will take part in two invites in Wausau next week.
Coaching help found
Nichols was looking for some coaching help as practice began last Tuesday, but that vacancy was quickly filled. Former volunteer assistant coach Jerry Baier has returned to the staff. He was at practice Thursday and will fully take over the assistant's role when 2021 RHS alum Jacob Weddle heads back to college in a couple of weeks.
"Honestly, it's worked out really well where we have Jacob to help out and we just got Jerry so it's essentially three coaches on board for these first two weeks," Nichols said. "Once Jacob leaves, it's going to be huge having Jerry. He knows the game. He's coached before. That leaves the door open, if I travel with varsity, he can still run a JV practice, which is going to be huge for the program's development."
Baier takes over for Ben Nichols, Matt's brother, who took a teaching position at his alma mater of Wausau West in the offseason.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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