PEABODY — Peabody’s girls tennis team may have some holes to fill, having lost six of seven senior starters from last year’s group, but third-year Coach John Sousa remains full of optimism.
“We are not rebuilding, but retooling and it will be nice to get some underclassmen some experience,” he said. “We have 24 girls who showed up at tryouts and that shows that the program is growing more and more, and seems to get more interest every year. We are seeing girls who really want to be a part of this team and compete. With only one returning starter, it is going to be a challenge.”
Last year, the Tanners finished the regular season 7-6 and made the Division 1 state tournament for a second consecutive year. The No. 34 seed, they lost a tight 3-2 match to North Andover in the preliminary round.
Senior captain Valentina Goga is the sole returning starter. She manned the second singles spot last year and Sousa is counting on her to move to the No. 1 spot, replacing Jessica Chau.
“I was fortunate to have two No. 1 players last year with Valentina and Jessica, so I expect that it will be a smooth transition for Valentina,” Sousa said.
With five seniors and one junior, the Tanners are short on experience, but have plenty of eager, young players. Sousa said that several players are likely to see action in the starting lineup, starting with junior captain Tiffany Bettencourt.
“She is one player who could find a regular spot,” Sousa said. “She got a chance to play in the tournament last year and did a nice job winning her match.”
Junior Anna Maciel, who played on the junior varsity squad last year, and sophomore Alexandra Kortelidis are also in the mix.
“Anna has been here since her freshman year and has always put in the hard work, so she is one who could see time as a starter,” Sousa said. “Alexandra has always had a tennis mind. She has a lot of athleticism and her footwork is outstanding. She’s been playing tennis with her older sister, Theodosia, who was one of our captains last year, for a long time, so she definitely seems to be one of the kids most ready to step in. It’s too early to tell, but she is in the mix for sure.”
Sousa also has his eyes on juniors Yasnelly Fernandez and Isabel Pereira.
“They’ve been playing since freshman year and have been doubles partners since they were freshmen,” he said. “They really wanted to be that first doubles team that goes out there. This year, as juniors, those two are really looking to step up.”
Sousa said that because many of the younger players are new to the game, the team spent most of its first day on the courts (Tuesday) learning the basics of the game, including how to hold the racquet and how to keep score.
“The interest in the team has been there pretty consistently – especially the last two years,” he said. “We don’t have to scrape for players anymore. There is genuine interest in being a part of the team and they all want to get better and be more competitive.”
Sousa won’t make cuts. He feels that with players who are new to the sport, it takes a full season to evaluate talent.
“You can’t tell where they will be based on tryouts alone,” he said. “I want to give everyone a full season of practice and preparation. I want players who are interested in practicing, not just playing, because it takes a lot to learn the system – things like knowing the rules and how to properly practice.”
The only goal the Tanners have is to make the tournament for a third consecutive year.
“That’s always our goal,” Sousa said. “Making it is a definite possibility and I will treat them as a tournament team. We are going to constantly say that we are going to the tournament, kind of, don’t count us out. I tell them that if they say they are not going to make the tournament, they won’t. They have to keep telling themselves they will and stay positive and if they do, they will. We’re two for two the last two years and that’s all these girls know – that’s where the bar is.”
Sousa expects Marblehead, Masconomet, Beverly, and Swampscott to be strong, but it’s tough to identify any one team as the cream of the crop in the Northeastern Conference as “there is a great deal of parity this year.”
The Tanners open the season Monday, April 7 in Danvers.
