2024 BCR girls tennis preview capsules: Emilee Merkel leads Princeton netters in fourth year on varsity

Princeton

Coach: Connie Lind

Top returners: Emilee Merkel, sr.; Nora Schneider, sr.; Audrey Thompson, jr.; Fiona Wempe, sr.

Key newcomers: Anna Ellis, fr.; Paige Jesse, sr.; Ella Kinnamon, sr.

Worth noting: Merkel, who is in her fourth year on the varsity, returns to No. 1 singles with Thompson moving up from the JV team to fill the No. 2 singles role this year. Lind said Thompson has played tennis year round, improving her level of play. Wempe, Lind said, has worked hard to earn a spot with the No. 1 doubles team. She’ll eventually be paired with Schneider, who is recovering from an injury last fall, Lind said. Senior Katelynn Hartmann steps in at No. 1 to open the season and “is a strong player willing to play where she is needed,” Lind said. A pair of newcomers, Ellis and Kinnamon will start the season at No. 2 doubles. The No. 3 doubles tandem to start the season is between junior Tessa Carlson, who played No. 1 doubles on the JV team last year, Jesse, who’s coming to tennis from volleyball and “improving daily,” and senior Zoey Byers. Merkel and Schneider are team captains. ... PHS has 13 JV players, including 10 freshmen, with a new coach, Jamie (Griggs) Munson, who was a senior member on Lind’s first girls team at PHS in 2004. They are Tia Bushman, Eryn Crowder, Daphnie Grant, Lydia Hardy, Alex Kuscsik, Izzy Luft, Lilly Mabry, Tayla Rivera, Karlie Schultz, Olivia Schroder, a foreign exchange student from Germany, Izzy Simmering, Kaylee Tanner and Piper Wempe. ... The Tigresses’ first match is Monday, August 26 at home against UT-East Moline.

St. Bede

Coach: Jill Urban-Bollis

Top returners: Nona Delao, sr.; Madalyn Dittmar, sr.; Bailey Engles, sr.; Libby Huffaker, sr.; Yuno Kawai, sr.

Key newcomers: Alicia Barreras, fr.; Mona Desai, jr.; Emerald De La Torre, jr.; Chipper Rossi, jr.; Sara Ruiz, jr.; Josie Trujillo, fr.; Lily Soliman, jr.

Worth noting: The Bruins have 22 players on the roster with six seniors. “I foresee good things for this 2024 season,” Urban-Bollis said. “The team has good chemistry, spirit, and they support one another. They are super eager to build their skills and with good team spirit they can build a solid tennis foundation. … The returning players have stepped up and are taking strong leadership roles even teaching underclassmen how to play the sport.” Engles returns after picking up tennis last fall and having a successful season, going 5-5 in singles and finishing one win shy of a state berth. “Bailey finished last season strong,” Urban-Bollis said. “Bailey played some good yet hard matches and advanced to the third round at sectional where she ended her season. As a first-year player last year, she really had a strong season. She has been motivated to get back on the courts to see where this season will take her.” Kawai, Huffaker, De La Torre, Delao, Dittmar and Desai are all in the mix for doubles, while Rossi, Trujillo, Ruiz, Barreras and Soliman are newcomers who could make an impact.