Team preview: RHS girls’ tennis

The dress rehearsal for the Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis team did not happen as scheduled on Friday. However, the way coach Matt Nichols sees it, the team will have plenty of chances to iron out the wrinkles over the next couple of weeks before its Great Northern Conference title defense begins in earnest.

The Hodags bring back seven starters off of last year’s squad that went 14-12 overall and recovered from an early-season conference loss to Lakeland to edge the T-Birds and Pacelli for the conference title. 

With that many starters returning, Nichols said he entered the season opening Bay Port Invite — which started yesterday and concludes today — with a pretty good idea of who would play where. That was even without the luxury of a scrimmage against D.C. Everest on Friday that was canceled due to rain.

“It’s a little disappointing. It’s nice to get that competition in but, on the flip side, I think we had a really good practice and, in some ways, that’s probably going to prove more beneficial to upcoming games than the scrimmage itself,” he said. “There’s still different combinations (to figure out). The beauty of Bay Port is we can change lineups between matches. I have a pretty good idea of where we’re going to start, maybe some alternative lineups, but I’m a little more confident in it than I was last year at this point.”

For starters, the Hodags will return senior Tori Riopel, who will reprise her role at No. 1 singles. She went 20-11 at the flight a year ago, finished third in the Great Northern Conference and advanced to sectionals. 

“Tori, she’s a senior with a lot of experience, a very good athlete,” Nichols said. “She had a year at No. 1 singles, just a huge growth year. I think she’s going to come in very strong.”

    In this Sept. 27, 2022 file photo, Rhinelander’s Kelsey Winter hits a return during a non-conference girls’ tennis match against Wisconsin Rapids at the RHS tennis courts. Coach Matt Nichols said Winter will likely shift from singles to doubles this year as she works her way back into the lineup from offseason knee surgery. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Rhinelander actually returns all four of its singles starters from last season, but that does not mean the lineup will remain the same. Senior Kelsey Winter is back after playing No. 2 singles last year, but will likely be penciled into a doubles role as she comes back from offseason knee surgery. 

Senior Shayla Coppenger was at No. 3 singles last year, but Nichols hinted that she may also flip to doubles in a possible reunion with fellow senior Kayla Tessmann. The two went 5-3 together at No. 3 doubles as sophomores in 2021.

That means junior Dawsyn Barkus, who went 10-10 and was the GNC runner-up at No. 4 singles, will likely vault into the No. 2 spot this fall.

“We saw that with Kelsey last year and I think she can rise to the occasion,” Nichols said of Barkus jumping two flights in the lineup. “I think she’s in a really good place already. She put in a lot of time over the summer. I think she’s going to grow well into that position.”

The Hodags have holes to fill at doubles. They lost both parts of the No. 1 doubles squad that won the conference title as Taylor Riopel graduated and Helena Wisner transferred out of the district. Additionally, the team graduated Paige Oleinik from its conference runner-up team at No. 2 doubles. 

Tessmann is back from the second flight and the Hodags return their No. 3 doubles team from the end of last year in juniors Evelyn Sawyer and Brooke Sisel (10-5).

“It’s tough losing doubles players of the year in the conference and No. 2 doubles we lost a good senior,” Nichols said. “We do have three coming back and we do have that varsity reserve, potentially Shayla moving in there. I think they’ll grow well into the positions.”

Nichols said Winter will likely start at No. 3 doubles and be paired either with sophomore Teagan Turcotte or sophomore Willow Mutter. 

Nichols noted juniors Karmen Lopez and Maya Patrick will likely battle for the Nos. 3 and 4 singles spots at the start of the year. 

Rhinelander will have plenty of chance to dial in its lineup in early-season non-conference invites. In addition to the Bay Port Invite, the Hodags are slated to host a quadrangular this coming Friday and will play in two separate two-day invites in Wausau next week. 

“We have seven match days before that first conference match, and it’s always nice to get pushed,” Nichols said. “It shows the weaknesses. We get to grow. We get to try new things and really dial it in before we get to that first conference match so we’re set for the season.”

That will likely be a good thing as the Hodags will open GNC play at home against Stevens Point Pacelli at the RHS tennis courts Aug. 29. Pacelli finished a close third in the GNC behind Rhinelander at Lakeland last season. The Cardinals are slated to return the top three in their singles lineup, including reigning GNC singles player of the year Natalie Cooper.

“Pacelli was right there. They’re a good team and they’re returning a lot,” Nichols said. “They have the singles player of the year coming back. They’re going to be a tough team.”

Nichols said the team goals are the same as what they normally are from year-to-year — win the GNC and advance as many players through to the sectional round of the WIAA tournament. The Hodags will seek their 12th conference title in the last 14 seasons this fall.

Rhinelander will have the added bonus of home court advantage this year, hosting the GNC tournament Sept. 23 and WIAA Division 1 subsectionals Oct. 2. GNC rival Medford has bumped up to Division 1 this year and is in Rhinelander’s subsectional while perennial Wisconsin Valley Conference contender Stevens Point moves out the draw. 

“Conference is always the pinnacle of the season,” Nichols said. “That’s the goal to win conference. I’d like to see a large group qualify from subsectionals to sectionals. I think it’s very doable. It helps when SPASH moves out of the sub. I think these tournaments are really going to prep them up for that. I see a lot of growth happening and I see a lot of potential come October.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].

TEAM SCHEDULE

Date    Opponent/Event    Time

8/14-15    at Bay Port Invite    9 a.m.

8/18    HODAG INVITE    11 a.m.

8/21-22    Wausau West Invite    Noon/9 a.m.

8/25-26    Wausau West Invite    10 a.m./9 a.m.

8/29    PACELLI*    4:30 p.m.

8/31    at Phillips*    4:30 p.m.

9/5    at Medford*     2 p.m

9/5    Bloomer (at Medford)    4 p.m.

9/7    WAUSAU NEWMAN*    4:30 p.m.

9/8-9    Wausau West Invite    Noon/9 a.m.

9/12    at Marshfield Columbus*    4:30 p.m.

9/14    ANTIGO*    4:30 p.m.

9/19    at Lakeland*    4:30 p.m.

9/21    GNC Meet at RHINELANDER*    9 a.m.

9/26    at Wisconsin Rapids    4 p.m.

9/28    ASHLAND    4:30 p.m.

10/2    WIAA SUBSECTIONALS at RHS    9 a.m.

10/4    WIAA Sectionals at Eau Claire    TBD

* Conference meets | HOME MEETS IN CAPS