Girls tennis: Scouting Cook and Lake County
ANTIOCH
The Seqouits are led by senior returning state qualifier Aubrey Dickey. Senior Alley Carley and junior Taylor Bigelow also are back as Antioch hopes to improve on a sixth-place finish in the Northern Lake County Conference and sixth at 1A sectionals.
Newcomers are senior Natalie Klingler and junior Sofia Schiffman.
"We have six returning varsity players," said coach Jamie DeAndrea. “There is a learning curve for this group of girls success. We want to finish in the top of the NLCC and get a couple of medalists in the NLCC tournament.”
BARRINGTON
The Fillies, under second-year coach Mike Byrd, were 12th in the state in 2A and second in the Mid-Suburban League.
Senior Shriya Ramesh and junior Courtney Croll both made it to state last year and are joined by seniors Isra Khan, Teagan Tuesley, Maia Perkowski, Naomi Avalon Jimenez, Olivia Taheny, Maria Smith, Alex Naddeo, Alexa Katayama, juniors Stephanie Yoon and Audrey Kim and sophomore Enya Neagu.
Newcomers are sophomore Ela Quan and freshman Sahanna Pilla.
“The MSL is a tough conference with Conant as the team to beat," said Byrd. ”Stay tuned for an exciting season. If we stay injury free the outlook should be promising and a competitive, fun season."
CARMEL CATHOLIC
Coach Gina Borkowski returns seniors Serena Bhatia and Greta Leedy from a Corsairs team which posted a fourth place 1A sectional finish.
CONANT
Returning eight state qualifiers, the future looks bright for Matt Marks' Cougars.
The lone senior back is Dhruvi Jain along with juniors Khrystyna Pivtorak, Noelle Koh, Advita Deepak, Nidhi Karekar, Thea Krachmorov and sophomores Avery Kestner and Elyssa Rojas Kantcheva to go with junior newcomer Saraya Adepu.
The Cougars won the Mid-Suburban Leage and were sectional champs in 2024. Conant completed the campaign with a seventh-place effort at the Class 2A state meet.
"With the new alignment in the MSL every match will be a battle,“ said Marks. ”It is the kind of battle we embrace. Being last year's champs we are motivated to defend our title. We want to prove we belong at the top of the MSL. We have five players from the sectionals returning and we left a lot of points on the table in the postseason. We want to repeat as conference and sectional champs and finish even higher at the state meet.“
FREMD
Coach Stephanie McClure is hoping her Vikings can improve on a third-place finish in the MSL and 33rd place at the 2A state meet.
Sophomores Stella Lee and Siya Mistry qualified for state as freshmen. Others back are seniors Sanvi Garapati, Diya Prem and Anvita Maddall along with junior Gunjan Mishra and sophomores Anya Shukla and Baruni Soni.
Newcomers seeking court time are seniors Rika Kukreja, Andrea Sanchez, Sahashra Boyia, Gia Gillespie and Paige Helton, and juniors Gunjan Mishra and Anna Goodell.
"We have eight returning players who are poised for a strong run this year," said McClure. “We combine experience with our returners and have a promising group of newcomers. We have a well-rounded competitive team. We want to build momentum from last year. The goal of the program is continue the tradition of excellence on and off the court."
GRANT
Seniors Emeri Oliver, Sophie Leichuck, Vanessa Pendell, Natalie Fafrowicz and Alyssa Siong lead Grant this season.
"All our seniors are ready to contribute," said coach Max Boton. “We are ready for an awesome season to come."
GRAYSLAKE CENTRAL
The Rams, under the tutelage of 20th-year coach Charles Lawson, have won the Northern Lake County Conference eight years in a row. With five solid returners which include seniors Mosie DeVine, Kaitlynn Faust, Lily Desino and Josie Bruce, along with junior Peyton Hoffman, a ninth straight conference crown seems like a possibility.
Newcomers include seniors Mira Begin, Jenika Vachel, Lilia Ernst, Gabi Szwed, Amelia Osis, Lexi Murphy and Annabelle Zook along with sophomore Gigi Fedor.
"We want to win conference again and qualify players to state (Class 1A),“ said Lawson.
GRAYSLAKE NORTH
The Knights, coached by Katherine Cole, return senior Jenna Caja and sophomore Olivia Caja and add freshman newcomer Coko Tuki.
HERSEY
Coach Robert Murphy is hoping his troops can improve on a fifth-place finish in the MSL.
The core of the team includes returners seniors Audrey and Leah Reynolds, Teagan Rose and Sam Fetzer, and juniors Sydney Voicu and Sophia Negrea.
Newcomers include juniors Gabriella Mirek, Lindsay Bennett and Vanessa Balkowicz along with freshmen Riley Kalnes, Julia Osiecki and Sofija Radakovic.
"We are excited about the season," said Murphy. “We are moving into the higher division at the right time. This is the strongest team we have had in awhile.
“Conant had a good freshman class last year and Barrington is always good,” added Murphy. "Prospect is our rival and we haven't taken them down for awhile. The MSL is a very tough conference and the coaches are very respectful."
HOFFMAN ESTATES
Edgar Ramirez, an assistant for seven years, takes over as head coach.
Returners for Hoffman Estates, 10th in the MSL a year ago, are seniors Hannah Lee, Nikki Genosa, Aminah Quadri, Maria Siddiqui and Soumya Tiwari and juniors Enkhjin Sevjid and Kayla Victor.
Newcomers are senior Danielle Sy, juniors Alma Hammond and Jasmine Sudan, sophomores Evelina Henning and Kaela Ming and freshman Lucie Whitehill.
"We are trying realignment in the MSL this season," said Ramirez. “We are looking to compete and show we are a strong team top to bottom.”
LAKES
The Eagles finished fifth in the Northern Lake County Conference and seventh in Class 1A sectional in 2024.
Back for Lakes are seniors Jemma Bennett, Adalaide Stoinski, Brinn Rizzo, and Alejandra Cruz along with junior Bhavitha Chilakuri.
"The conference looks strong," said coach Bryan Plinske. “There are no days off. It is never easy. Mental toughness is a huge factor. Players have to be at the top of their games. There is no quit on this team. We will force every team to play every point.”
LAKE ZURICH
The Bears, seventh in Class 2A a year ago, are led by senior Katrine Boianov, who was fourth in the state in singles. Sophomore Lora Boianov also qualified for state in singles.
Senior doubles teams of Alice Pisarevskaya and Alex Fridyland and Meera Ohri and Addison Cundiff return, and senior Jessica Eng has varsity experience.
Newcomers include senior Penelope Dionesotes, junior Varsha Nagarajan and sophomores Alice Pullin and Amelia Ergasheva.
"Every match in the conference will be tough," said coach Andrew McCurley. “We graduated a lot from last year. We have a nice core of seniors looking to write their own story."
LEYDEN
The Eagles under the guidance of Joe Hamilton were third in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division and 11-10 overall in dual meets.
Back are seniors Vanessa Nwawa, Shefail Shah, Ayia Kousa, Jenna Rodrigo, Emily Lacka, Alison Marin and Anesa Dawud along with juniors Maddie Vogelsberg and Vanessa Strozak.
Newcomers are juniors Avan Cardinal, Julie Libera and Haneen Dawud along with sophomore Victoria Rucinski.
“We have 60 girls on the team and all the girls are interested in having fun," said Hamilton. ”We want to create some new friendships and win some contests along the way.“
LIBERTYVILLE
Junior Yuki Dogadalski, who finished in third in the state in doubles last year with her graduated sister, will focus on singles this season. Other returners are senior Lianne Lin and sophomores Jasmine Fu and Avalyn Platt.
Newcomers are seniors Lucy Tyll, Sarah Yoon, Domenico Tiro, Amy Kerrigan, Caitlin Hakunen and Maddie Chung, juniors Yelyzaveta Shecheaturova, Sri Mukhopadhyay and Ivy Li, and freshman Ana Milikovic.
The Wildcats were third in the North Suburban Conference, fifth in the sectionals and 10th at state.
“We expect to finish the same in the conference at third and qualify two positions for state,” coach Dan Kiernan said. “We are coming. Yuki is one of the best players in the area and we want for her to focus on singles this year. I am sure she will do well at sectionals and state.”
MAINE SOUTH
The Hawks finished fifth in the Central Suburban League South, second in the Class 2A Maine South sectional and 20th in the state.
Junior Emma Millitaru was 10th in singles in Class 2A last year as sophomore. Sophomore Kristina Nikolova returns as a state qualifier in doubles.
Other returners are seniors Ella Raseta, Lauren Geier, Sophie Dial and Grace Cioromski along with junior Megi Stoyanova.
Newcomers include Theodora Coines, Maya Vezentan, Avery Keyworth and Samantha Krzesinski.
"The CSL South is arguably the toughest conference in the state top to bottom," said coach Gerald Smith. “We want to improve on our fifth-place finish. We are optimistic about competing this season with top returning players. We are hungry to start competing."
MAINE WEST
Coach Miguel Aguirre welcomes back Evelyn Mau and Sydney Houdek, Newcomers are Nejra Golic and Mayra Dempsey.
“This (CSL) is a tough conference," said Aguirre. ”We have to get better in practice every day. We hope to settle in the middle of the conference regular season and conference tournament. It is a great group of girls who are motivated to improve. They are great students in the classroom and great people."
MUNDELEIN
Gregg Winter's troops return seniors Kateryna Zhuzheiska and Nahomy Benitez and juniors Abi Gara, Valarie Gazaeva and Brianna Mondragon. Newcomers are freshmen Aubrey Anderson, Paige Scaramella, Phiyanka Sahu and Tina Adinku.
PALATINE
The Pirates, under the direction of ninth-year coach Christy Azriel, return seniors Brooklyn Montijo and Emily Segovia and junior Fina Storey.
Newcomers include seniors Claudia Juszkiewicz and Mallory Jellison, juniors Zoe Turner, Regina Salituro, Claire Mitchem, Anushka Esturi and Alexa Carzares, sophomore Kirpa Singh and freshman Aisha Parikh.
“We are in a tough conference," said coach Christy Azriel. ”We want to improve our performance in the conference. We have nine new varsity players in the lineup. We hope our veterans demonstrate leadership roles and provide support and encouragement to the new players. We are ready to compete in the conference and invitationals."
PROSPECT
The Knights tied for second in the MSL with Barrington and tied for fifth in the sectionals with Hersey.
Returners for coach Patrick Weber's troops are seniors Claire Zimmerman and Sofiya Zheplinska and juniors Casey Brosnan and Riley Phillips. The Knights add seniors Tanya Oleksyn, Julia Sitko, Emilia Lukiniuk and Chelsea McGowan along with juniors Victoria Biezychudek and Calia Smentowski and Teodora Lazarova to the team this year.
“The MSL reshuffling and it is no longer based on geographic," said Weber of the new format this year with divisions based on team performance and record. ”There will be more challenging teams this season. We want to embrace the challenge. We want to continue to fight every point, game and match.“
SCHAUMBURG
The Saxons, seventh in the MSL and second in the Schaumburg 2A sectional last year, are led by senior state qualifier Jhena Emnace.
"We are in one of the best conferences and we relish the challenge," said coach Seth Hanford. “We are excited about the new divisional structure. We are senior heavy and have excellent juniors. We look forward to an exciting season. We have 70 girls in our program and we continue to build our tradition year after year for our three teams."
STEVENSON
The Patriots enjoyed a stellar season in 2024 with a North Suburban Conference championship, a sectional title and second-place effort in Class 2A at the state meet.
Returning for the Patriots are senior state qualifiers the doubles team of seniors Emma Blass and Ana Sukovic who finished top 16. Other returners are senior Kriti Mohan and sophomore Kylie Blass. Newcomers are junior Michelle Granovsky, sophomores Megan Ma and Perana Mandamula and freshmen Vanshika Kanuri and Natalie Aragones.
"We want to compete for a conference title and get a state team trophy," said coach Isriz Balase. “We have a great balance of experience and new talent. We want to work hard in practice and execute in matches.”
ST. VIATOR
The Lions return from Class 2A to 1A this season, and they bring back seniors Liz Schmerhorn, Ohio Somadi, Elise Kopp, Chloe Weaver and Neil Banasik to go with newcomers Gabriella Scaravella, a senior, and freshmen Eliza Farry, Daila Banasik and Ashley Bada.
"The three freshmen look promising," said ninth-year coach Mary Louise Blaney. “We want to qualify for the state meet."
VERNON HILLS
The Cougars, which drop down to Class 1A, return state qualifiers senior Paulina Mashereva (24-9) and junior Kamila Tamarski (30-4).
Doug Gerber, in his 26th season, led his team to a 12-4 dual meet record and a second-place finish to Highland Park in the Central Suburban North.
"We are bolstered by two experienced and talented players in Paulina and Kamila,“ Gerber said. ”We hope to be in the hunt for the conference championship this year."
Returning players hoping to make an impact are seniors Maya Greenfield, Emma Jazbutiis, Anna Rudenko, Taryn Holleb, Leonor Newman,Elicia Beck and Emma Rodriguez, and juniors are Anastasia Boots, Shresta Avadhanula, Isabella Ugolkov, Meera Davulri, and Kara Carido. Freshman Evelyn Lai joins the team.
WARREN
Coach Vince Desecki returns seniors Lucylar Chen, Elizabeth Dabney, Kamilla Dobija, Shelby Steggerda and Gabriella Carrera Sarnaza, juniors Sahana Ganapathy, Michelle Miedzinski, Marielle Denise Pasco and Kritika Perina, and sophomores Fiona Youngman, Greta Gerwig and Rheya Jaganathan.
"We want to be very competitive in the NSC and qualify players for the state tournament," said Desecki. “We want to finish in the top half of the conference."
WAUCONDA
The Bulldogs are led by senior Reagan Mohr, who was part of the Northern Lake County Conference championship doubles team. Also back for coach Ben Volheim are seniors Mary Robison, Kassidy Pickup, Kelsey Madgen, Kara Harris, Avery Lis and Bailey Peloquin.
Wauconda, 5-2 in dual meets, was third in the conference regular season and conference tournament, and the Bulldogs add senior Yani Diego Becerra and sophomores Juliana Comucateco, Kailyn Tracey and McKenna Giotis.
"Three years ago we were last in the conference," said Volheim. “Two seasons ago we were in the middle of the pack and last season we were third. The trajectory is clear. We want to win the conference. We have a special group of eight seniors and three exciting sophomores. We are excited to be down to Class 1A after being 2A the last two years. We want to get girls to state.”