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Fox Valley Conference
Cary-Grove
Coach: Amanda Schuetzle (third season)
Last year’s finish: Fifth in FVC Tournament
Top returning players: Annabella Gaffaney, sr.; Addie Lee, jr.; Chloe Warner, jr.; Maggie Groos, sr.; Katelyn O’Malley, jr.; Teagan Bowers, sr.
Top new players: Madison Strike, sr.; Becca Weaver, jr.; Aubrey Lonergan, so.
Worth noting: Gaffaney returns at the No. 1 singles spot after taking fifth in the FVC Tournament for C-G. After that, the rest of the lineup is up in the air. The Nos. 1 and 2 doubles teams graduated, and Mary Sessoms, from the No. 3 doubles team that won an FVC title, is out after having ACL surgery. … Lee finished third at FVC No. 2 singles. … “We have a lot of girls who have put time in on the court during the offseason and are coming in leading with good energy and focus at tryouts, so I’m looking forward to seeing that pay off wherever they may land in the lineup,” Schuetzle said. “The girls will have to be adaptable as we start figuring out our lineup for this season.”
Crystal Lake Central
Coach: Cory Osterberg (fifth season)
Last year’s finish: Third place in FVC Tournament
Top returning players: Maggie Naughton, sr.; Katie Hamill, jr.
Top new players: Ally Holtkamp, jr.; Kaitlin Coffey, jr.; Emily Pinion, jr.; Maya Naughton, jr.; Sofia Weckerlin, jr.; Bella Lisle, jr.
Worth noting: The Tigers finished 17-3 in dual meets last season, were second in the conference dual season and third in the tournament. … No. 1 doubles team Olivia Johnson and Megan Rapisarda were Northwest Herald All-Area first-team selections and graduated. … Parker Zautcke, who was fourth in FVC No. 1 singles as a freshman, moved to Florida and will be a significant loss. … “This will definitely be a rebuilding year as we lost nine starters,” Osterberg said. “Last year’s JV team was very successful, but many of these girls are going to be forced to make huge jumps to fill our lineup. I’m looking forward to see how these girls will respond to the opportunity.”
Crystal Lake South
Coach: Rick Bailey (second season)
Last year’s finish: Second in FVC Tournament
Top returning players: Jaden Appelhans, sr.; Abby Jurrens, jr.; Elena Cangelosi, sr.; Phoenix Magg, sr.
Top new players: Gabby Toussaint, sr.; Maia Peterson, sr.; Nevan Sanders, jr.; Aubrey Schuerich, jr.; Emma Moore, jr.; Hannah Lee, jr.; Eliana Rankin, fr.; Ally Haisler, sr.
Worth noting: The Gators lost eight starters to graduation from their FVC runner-up team, so they will have an almost all-new lineup. … Appelhans and doubles partner Christina Lin (who graduated) were All-Area second-team selections; Jurrens received honorable mention. Jurrens was the No. 3 singles champ in the FVC Tournament. … Cangelosi played No. 2 doubles with graduate Gracelyn Gabel and they won 17 matches. … Bailey expects Magg and Toussaint, who played junior varsity matches, can make an impact with the varsity.
Dundee-Crown
Coach: Yuto Tsukida (fourth season)
Last year’s finish: Seventh in FVC Tournament
Top returning players: Rujul Shah, jr.; Andrea Llavona, sr.; Karina McElvoy, jr.
Top new player: Sasha Bozovic, fr.
Worth noting: Shah starts her third year as the Chargers’ top singles player. She finished third in No. 1 singles in the FVC Tournament. … “I hope the players will learn something new every match and build upon them to push themselves to achieve their goals,” Tsukida said.
Hampshire
Coach: Dylan Clark (ninth season)
Last year’s finish: Eighth in FVC Tournament
Top returning players: Ava Carroll, jr.; Isabela Williamson, jr.; Christina Cruz, jr.; Izzy Masotti, sr.; Gabby Montenegro, sr.; Rachel Brunsting, jr.
Top new players: Cat Sterken, jr.; Abbie Branca, sr.; Kimmy Dmello, sr.; Maria Misiaszek, jr.
Worth noting: The most notable graduation losses for the Whip-Purs were Karolina Ryzka and Clare Hahn, who were third in FVC No. 1 doubles. … Carroll will take over at No. 1 singles, while Williamson and Cruz will be at No. 1 doubles. … “We lost some talent from last year, but we are looking to improve our talent rapidly during the season,” Clark said. “Our lineup should be deep enough to pose a threat to some of the tougher teams in the FVC if we rise to our potential.”
Huntley
Coach: Barry Wells (18th season)
Last year’s finish: FVC champion
Top returning players: Elaina Hibbeler, sr.; Emily Chong, sr.; Kate Burkey, so.; Arianna Patel, so.; Carlie Weishaar, so.; Delaney Stock, so.
Top new players: Ashley Phommasack, jr.; Ela Doughty, fr.; Ellie Pauwels, jr; Kacie Scerbicke, so.; Trinity Nguyen, so.; Nora Stevenson, sr.
Worth noting: The Red Raiders have won back-to-back conference titles but graduated a lot of their lineup, led by FVC No. 1 singles player Ruhi Gulati, a four-time Class 2A state qualifier. … Hibbeler moves into the No. 1 singles spot and was an All-Area second-team selection. … “We have very good returning players, though, and I think we will still have strong depth and be successful this year,” Wells said. “We are still trying to find the right combination of players in the starting lineup, but practices have been going great and the girls are really bonding as a team.”
Jacobs
Coach: Jon Betts (18th season)
Last year’s finish: Sixth in FVC Tournament
Top returning players: Chloe Siegfort, sr.; Lara Santa-Ines, sr.; Amelia Stoner, sr.; Gabi Czeremuga, sr.; Sara Casey, jr.; Kylie Cohn, so.
Top new players: Elaine Ulrich, sr.; Molly Dylo, jr.; Julia Burley, jr.; Alexis Hill, jr.; Ameera Hussain, jr.; Camryn Clark, so.
Worth noting: Jacobs had its worst team finish in 20 years, and Betts is eager to get the Golden Eagles back near the top. … Getting back Siegfort, who trained in Florida last year, and Santa-Ines, who won FVC No. 3 singles as a freshman and No. 1 doubles as a sophomore before missing last season with an ACL injury, gives Jacobs a huge boost. … Cohn was FVC No. 1 singles runner-up and an All-Area second-team selection. … “We’ll certainly have plenty of proven talent at the top of the lineup,” Betts said. “Our success will depend on how well we prepare the rest of the team to handle the pressures of varsity competition. We have a great deal of work to do to return to relevance in the area.”
McHenry
Coach: Kyle Funkhouser (16th season)
Last year’s finish: Ninth in FVC Tournament
Top returning players: Alivia Adams, sr.; Maddie Blake, sr.; Odessa Garcia, sr.; Megan Bennett, sr.; Samantha Lovitsch, sr.; Emma Henrichsen, jr.
Top new players: Lorelei Galvicius, so.; Ella Grechis, jr.; Maye Waters, sr.
Worth noting: Funkhouser looks forward to seeing who emerges for the Warriors. “We have pretty good numbers throughout the program, and I’m excited to see which players step up and compete in a tough FVC,” he said.
Prairie Ridge
Coach: Gina Jasovic (fourth season)
Last year’s finish: Fourth in FVC Tournament
Top returning players: Aleena Ciezak, jr.; Meghan Clark, sr.; Madeleine Bartmess, sr.; Kelsey Collins, sr.; Jessica Cunningham,, jr.; Olivia Schleicher, jr.; Paige Newport, sr.; Gracie Smith, jr.; Vedika Shah, sr.
Top new players: Deborah Prado, sr.; Jazzmyn Prado, sr.; Isabella Pollastrini, sr.; Elizabeth Norwood, fr.
Worth noting: Ciezak and Collins were FVC No. 2 doubles runners-up for the Wolves and qualified for the Class 2A State Tournament. … Clark and Bartmess were runners-up at FVC No. 4 doubles. … The Prado twins, who just took up tennis two years ago, will move into the varsity lineup this season.
Kishwaukee River Conference
Johnsburg
Coach: Stephanie Flebbe (third season)
Last year’s finish: Second in KRC Tournament
Top returning players: Isabelle Rodriguez, jr.; Emmy Lewis, so.; Chandler Mendlik, sr.; Caitlin Flebbe, sr.; Kyra Sherman, sr.; Emma Rung, sr.
Top new players: Ali Danca, sr.; Riley Zupansic, fr.
Worth noting: The Skyhawks’ biggest graduation loss was Gracie Cittadino, an All-Area first-team pick who went 3-2 in the Class 1A State Tournament. … “A lot of the singles girls really stepped up last year when [Cittadino] was injured,” Stephanie Flebbe said. “With past experience in higher positions, and a lot of experienced seniors, I hope for success and continued growth this season.”
Marengo
Coach: Jennifer Haas (second season)
Last year’s finish: Fourth in KRC Tournament
Top returning players: Noelle Haas, sr.; Tzitlali Montes, sr.; Valeria Rivera, sr.; Keilee kimmel, sr.; Madison Cannon; jr.
Top new players: Karlyn Stratton, fr.
Worth noting: Noelle Haas and Ashtyn Martin won the KRC Tournament No. 1 doubles bracket the past two years for Marengo. Martin is one of nine players to graduate, and Haas will move over to the No. 1 singles slot. … “We are looking forward to some good showings from our returning players,” Jennifer Haas said.
Woodstock
Coach: John Oliveira (first season)
Last year’s finish: Third in KRC Tournament
Top returning players: Marta Fito, so.; Isa Kozlow, sr.; Alisha Virani, sr.
Top new players: Amina Idris, so.; Ida Saeger, sr.; Renee Schleutermann, jr.; Kristi Caspari jr.
Worth noting: The Blue Streaks’ returning players were mainly singles competitors last season, so Oliveira is looking for how the doubles teams will be set up. … “We are young and inexperienced at the varsity level, but we are getting better every day,” Oliveira said.
Woodstock North
Coach: Bart Zadlo (sixth season)
Last year’s finish: KRC champion
Top returning players: Sophia Davidson, sr.; Lupe Martinez, sr.; Gabi Martinez, sr.
Top new players: Eliza Goers, sr.; Angelina Bartlett, sr.; Lesly Perez, sr.
Worth noting: North has won five KRC team titles in a row. … The Thunder will have a lot of new players in the varsity lineup, girls who played on the junior varsity level and will be promoted. … “Our lineup will undoubtedly change as we find the best version of our team at the beginning of the season,” Zadlo said. “We are excited for our new varsity players to step up and fill the vacancies that were left by last year’s graduating class. Our key positions will be first singles and first and second doubles.”
Independent
Marian Central
Coach: Tom Berger (first season)
Last year’s finish: Seventh in East Suburban Catholic Conference
Top returning players: Madeline Huff, sr.; Bella Zecchin, sr.; Madison Kenyon, jr.; Holly Garrelts, jr.; Kaitlyn Remke, so.; Avery Hill, sr.
Top new players: Jenna Remke, fr.; Nora Finnegan, jr.; Abbey Minor, so.; Leah Miller, jr.; Hannah McNulty, sr.
Worth noting: The Hurricanes return five of their six sectional entries from last season, two of which were one win from advancing to the Class 1A State Tournament. … Kaitlyn Remke was one win from advancing to state in singles, while Holly Garrelts and Bella Zecchin were a win away in doubles. … “We have high expectations,” Berger said. “Madison Kenyon and Madeline Huff are two other returning upperclassmen that have the potential to do well.”