The Nordonia girls varsity tennis team is excited to commence the upcoming season with optimism and unwavering determination. Under the guidance of Coach Ryan Vehar, the team has devoted significant effort during the offseason to enhancing their skills and physical fitness. Last year, the Nordonia Varsity Girls Tennis team achieved considerable success, boasting a roster of experienced players to complement the arrival of new talent.
A bunch of players from last year will be back for the 2023 fall sports season. Seniors Kyra Kanar, Maddie Owen, and Delanie Will are coming back, along with sophomore Malanie Delanie. The Team welcomes several talented newcomers who are eager to make their mark this season. Sophomores Melanie Szugye, Abigail Bahasen, and Annabelle Ferrara will be joining the team, along with junior Lia Myroniak and exchange student Julia Hernandez Velasco. They will be split into singles and doubles groups.
Melanie Szugye and Delanie Will are both going to compete in the singles category, while Maddie Owen, Kyra Kanar, Abigail Bahnsen, and Annabelle Ferrara will form doubles pairs. Coach Vehar has acknowledged the potential need to adjust lineups in the early weeks of the season. He has also described his training approach.
“Right now, we have under one week of practice under our belt. We are trying to get the team up to speed. We are trying to get everyone back to the flow of 2-3 hours a day of tennis commitment and shape.”
Coach Ryan Vehar remains optimistic about the season ahead, citing the team’s experienced players in both singles and doubles. He believes this provides a solid foundation for a successful starting lineup.
“The good thing is we do have some players with a lot of experience. The single players have a lot of singles experience, and the players playing doubles have more doubles experience. In that respect, that is a good starting lineup.”
He also emphasized the importance of consistency in training, stating, “We are looking for consistency on a daily basis.” We are trying to be as strong as possible. Most days, if you can keep five balls and play, you have a 75 percent chance of winning the point, but if you come across a very good talent, it is hard to get to that fifth ball. If two players are pretty close, we try to work on keeping their ball consistently in play and see who makes the mistake first.”
The team faces a demanding schedule this year, competing against some of the top teams in the state, including Revere, Hudson, Brunswick, and Mentor. With confidence and passion, the Nordonia Girls Varsity Tennis team eagerly anticipates the 2023 season.
