Vander Galien named Hodag tennis MVP

The Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis team wrapped up its season with an awards banquet Monday, Oct. 27 in the RHS commons. The team handed out several awards on the evening, headlined by the MVP award. That honor didn’t go to the player with the best record, rather the one who faced the toughest competition throughout the season. 

Sophomore Annie Vander Galien, who vaulted from outside the varsity lineup as a freshman to the Hodags’ No. 1 singles player this year, earned the honor — which was voted upon by her peers. Vander Galien went 9-20 overall on the year, including an 8-19 mark at the top flight of singles, and earned a fourth-place finish in the Great Northern Conference tournament.

In presenting the award, coach Matt Nichols said Vander Galien’s teammates recognized her willingness to stand up to the challenge against the best players from opposing teams. 

“I think the person earning this not only brought talent, but they also brought mindset and dedication. And this person I think, it was just so fun to see their mindset,” he said. “They didn’t have the best record. They didn’t necessarily win every match, but they were so valuable in the sense of what they brought to the team, what they bought to practice and with how they pushed themselves and their teammates. And this person, even though they were losing, there was zero hesitation that they wanted to move flights. They didn’t want to go down. They wanted to say where they were at. They wanted to compete with the top people.”

Vander Galien’s honor was one of eight awards handed out by the team during the banquet. Two players earned two awards each. Freshman Lucy Evers claimed Rookie of the Year honors and won the Three-Setter Netter Award while senior Eva Heck earned both the Team Spirit and Hodag Citizen awards.

Evers broke into the varsity lineup early and solidified herself as the Hodags’ No. 4 singles player by midseason. She ended up going 17-3 at the flight, and 22-3 overall, as she advanced to the sectional round of the WIAA tournament and scored a second-place finish there. 

Evers got to the championship match at sectionals with a match tiebreaker win over Superior’s Anna James. That was Evers’s fourth win of the year in a match that went beyond a second set. She earned the Three-Setter Netter Award as the player on the team with the best record in match tiebreakers.

“She showed up earned a spot at No. 4 singles in the varsity lineup and had an amazing season,” Nichols said. “It’s really cool to see that talent, that raw talent, coming in, and then grow throughout the entire season.”

Heck, who went 17-12 on the year playing primarily with senior teammate Willow VanDenHeuvel at No. 2 doubles, was recognized for her contributions to the team off the court. In earning the Team Spirit Award, Heck was commended for her positive energy and ability to support teammates during practices and matches. She was also recognized for her contributions outside the tennis program with the Hodag Citizen Award, with Nichols noting the number of other activities and community service projects in which she’s involved — including student council, National Honor Society, Key Club and FBLA/DECA.

“She was a force and a presence out at the courts, not only in practice, but also in games, one of the loudest cheerers,” Nichols noted.

Sophomore Jordan Manske received the team’s Ms. Hustle Award. She was commended for her bulldog mentality on the court as she compiled a 15-12 record on the year, while primarily playing at No. 2 singles.

“She’s put in so much time in the offseason — playing in the league, going into the dome, hitting with family,” Nichols said. “She put in so much time between last year and this year, and it was, I mean, she made a big jump because of it. She was very confident, she trusted her game, and she had a lot of big, tight match wins because of it, and it goes to show the skills and the mindset.”

The team also presented most improved awards to Addy Strobel and Alexia Corey-Luse on the varsity side, and to Lexi Beran and Kali Skubal on the JV side.

Additionally seven members of the Hodag tennis team earned Academic All-State honors from the Wisconsin High School Tennis Coaches Association — Heck, VanDenHeuvel, Manske, Strobel, Addy Currie, Maddie LeGrey and Taylor McKinney. That honor goes to sophomores, juniors or seniors who are varsity letter winners and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater. 

The team honored nine others with team academic excellence awards who met all the WHSCTA criteria except for a varsity letter — Beran, Skubal, Ellerie Barlog, Mya Gillen, Riley McGee, Charlotte Shertleff, Lexie Terzinski, Paige Wanta and team manager Hazel Van Camp.

The Hodags went 18-8 in dual meets this year and were 7-1 in Great Northern Conference duals. The Hodags entered the GNC tournament tied for first in the conference standings, but tied for third in the tournament and wound up tied for third in the final conference rankings. 

Though the Hodags fell short of their goal of reclaiming the GNC title, Nichols said this year’s team made a big step in that direction after the Hodags placed fifth in the conference in 2024.

“From last year to the end of this season, I think a huge theme was just improvement from where everyone ended last year’s season to this year’s season. It was crazy to see a lot of people jumping up and filling some new shoes, and then finding success there,” he said. “Our goal was not necessarily accomplished in the outcome, but I think it was accomplished in the effort and everything that poured into the season leading up to (the conference tournament).”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected]. 

    Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis award winners pose for a photograph following the team’s banquet in the RHS commons Monday, Oct. 27. Pictured, from left to right, are Annie Vander Galien, Addy Strobel, Jordan Manske, Lucy Evers, Eva Heck, Lexi Beran and Alexia Corey-Luse. Award winner Kali Skubal was unavailable for the photograph. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)