The Philomath High School girls tennis team opens this season with a lot of familiar faces on the court and all of that experience, along with a talented incoming freshman, gives coach Mark Orozco plenty to work with this spring.
The Warriors return three of their four singles players and all eight athletes who competed on doubles teams last season. The lone loss is a big one, however, with Adele Beckstead, a four-year varsity player who placed third at state.
“I think we’re in pretty good shape,” Orozco said after a practice last week. “The entire varsity returns except for Adele — she’s the only one that graduated. … Overall, our doubles teams are all back, so we stand a pretty good shot with that. I think just in general, having a core team returning puts us in a pretty good position.”
Returning singles players include senior Lucy King, junior Lucy Thomas and sophomore Ella Hammonds. Varsity doubles players include senior Maggie King, senior Lucie Oster, junior Lizzie Workman, junior Clara Neville, sophomore Bethany Cannon, sophomore Bella Nuñez, senior Logan Cook and senior Lacey Bacho.
“Lucy Thomas will probably be our No. 1 single right now,” Orozco said last week. “She did take second in the consolation bracket at districts, so she can play and I’m looking forward to seeing what she can do.”
Lucy King appeared to be at No. 2 singles as the spring began, the coach said, although the top two singles players are very close, he added. In a season-opening match Tuesday against Lebanon, King was not in the lineup with Oster filling the No. 2 slot.
The program continues to have a Beckstead girl on the roster despite Adele’s graduation. Andrea Beckstead, the program’s lone freshman, could have an impact, although she’s battling injury as the season gets started.
“It’ll be at least three or four weeks probably before we see her back,” Orozco said, “but she’s probably one of the toughest freshmen I’ve seen.”
At No. 1 doubles, Orozco had Oster and Maggie King penciled in.
“They’re both extremely fast, extremely athletic, and I think they’re going to be tough,” Orozco said.
Orozco appeared to be leaning toward Neville and Workman, and Cannon and Nuñez in two other doubles slots. Nuñez missed districts last season because of illness and as a result, Cannon played with junior Isabelle Norman, who had been on junior varsity.
The rest of the lineup was to be determined through a round-robin competition, although the coach admitted that who goes where does have a subjective element to it early in the season, especially with limited practice time outside.
Against Lebanon, Maggie King was not in the lineup and with Oster moving into a singles slot, Neville and Workman were at No. 1 doubles. Cannon and Nuñez played at No. 2 doubles. Both of those Philomath tandems won their matches. The No. 3 doubles team of Cook and Bacho also posted a victory. Norman and sophomore Cambria Braudrick competed at No. 4 doubles.
In the other singles matches vs. Lebanon, Hammonds and foreign-exchange student Cecilia Milesi played at No. 3 and No. 4 singles, respectively. Oster, Hammonds and Melesi all won their matches.
In all, the team has 18 athletes on the roster this season.
“From talking to the athletic director, just the numbers in general are down for high school sports participation. So to have 18, I think that’s a good number,” Orozco said.
Philomath is scheduled to play Thursday at Dallas. This season’s district tournament is slated for May 11 at Molalla and May 14-15 at the Salem Swim and Tennis Club. The state championships will be May 21-23 at Oregon State University.
Philomath 6, Lebanon 2
Tuesday, March 17, at Philomath HS
Singles
Alison Frey, Lebanon, def. Lucy Thomas, 6-2, 6-0 (def); Lucy Oster, Philomath, def. Hailey Destowet, 6-4, 7-5; Ella Hammonds, Philomath, def. Gwyn Wheeler, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4; Cecilia Milesi, Philomath, def. Anne Workman, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1).
Doubles
Clara Neville/Lizzie Workman, Philomath, def. Daniela Sanchez-Guzman/Greta Abbott, 6-1, 6-2; Bethany Cannon/Belle Nuñez, Philomath, def. Jane Gonzalez/Payton V., 6-1, 6-0; Logan Cook/Lacey Bacho, Philomath, def. Kadence Volkers/Valeria Ortiz, 6-2, 6-0; Emma Ross/Emma W., Lebanon, def. Isabelle Norman/Cambria Baudrick, 6-1, 7-5.
Note: Full names for some Lebanon athletes were not available.
