Girls tennis: St. Charles East returnees ready to take on bigger role

St. Charles East junior Kate Lauger is moving up in rank this season.

After a solid sophomore season at No. 2 doubles, Lauger is looking to become an integral player for the Saints this fall. Lauger said she worked on many facets of her game to become a well-rounded leader in her final two years, especially following the graduation of several players from last season's team which finished 14-3 and 6-1 in the DuKane Conference. The Saints captured the sectional title last season, but the state tournament was not held due to the coronavirus pandemic. Already this summer, Lauger showed signs of a breakout season.

"Being a returning player, I'm excited for the new season," Lauger said. "I learned a lot from last year, and have really improved my singles games. I mostly took lessons at Eola Tennis Academy, played with my dad and some friends. I'm excited for the season. My goal for this season is to be confident in my shots and have fun."

St. Charles East coach Matt Bullman said Lauger has all the tools for a successful season.

"Kate has made huge strides in the offseason, and she will have an incredibly increased role without our team lineup," he said. "We graduated a ton of talent, but still we have what Is the most depth that I've had in a long time. Kate is one of those players we're expecting good things from this year. We're going to have a lot of new faces stepping up."

A year ago, Smita Dhar teamed up with Caroline Donati to form an unbeatable combination for the second season in a row. Dhar and Donati placed second in the St. Charles East sectional last season, but both will take on a bigger role following the graduation of star Emaira Saini.

"I was expecting a big change since majority of our team graduated last year," Dhar said. "My biggest goal for this season is to have the chance to play in the state tournament. I think the team is very diverse and it's amazing that we have different people with different strengths and we come together to form a team that I think will do great this season."

At No. 1 singles, Audrey Jones, a senior, said she's excited about the challenge of playing against top-tier competition on a weekly basis to improve her game and help the Saints. Jones gained valuable experience last year playing No. 2 singles following playing doubles in her freshman campaign. Now, after an offseason of improving her game, Jones is ready to be a leader at singles.

"This year will be exciting with a new position and new teammates," Jones said. "We have had many productive practices heading into the season and have already grown as a team. Each of the teammates not only put in their hard work on the court, everyone had made an effort to bond as a team. My goal for this season is to give it my all. It's my senior season, so I want to play my hardest with no regrets."