By David Paulsen
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
With the team no longer having one of the top singles players in the state anchoring the squad, the Burlington High School girls tennis team will rely more heavily this season on its doubles teams.
Over the past four seasons, Stephanie Londre anchored the team at No. 1 singles, but Londre graduated this past spring.
“Our No. 1 doubles team of Ali Zeman and Olivia Leuck are stepping up to lead the team,” head coach Rose Dolatowski said.
Both Zeman and Leuck are juniors.
A total of 41 girls came out for the squad. That includes five seniors, 14 juniors, 13 sophomores and nine freshmen. Among that group, there are just six returning letterwinners.
Besides Zeman and Leuck, others athletes who should get time in doubles competition include sophomore Lydia Crabtree; juniors Paige Puntillo, Laura Christoph and Sierra Koenen; and seniors Kayla Ludwig and Rose Uhen. Puntillo and Christoph played doubles last season.
Sophomore Sophie Grandi, who played No. 4 singles last year, will move up to No. 1 singles.
All other singles players have no varsity experience.
Koenen, Ludwig, Uhen are among the promising new players Dolatowski hopes to get production from. Others include sophomore Coral Miller, and juniors Adrianna Burd, Haley Jurecki and Courtney Wieners.
“There will be some players going between singles and doubles this year,” Dolatowski noted.
With two very tough singles players and a doubles team that qualified for state last year, Dolatowski sees Lake Geneva Badger as the team to beat this fall. Dolatowski hopes her squad can finish in the middle or top half of the Southern Lakes Conference standings. The Demons finished third last season.
“It is a good team with solid leadership. They are working very hard,” Dolatowski said. “They are an amazing group of girls to work with.”
The Demon girls began their season Saturday at the Beaver Dam Quad and went 2-1 on the day. They defeated Beaver Dam 4-3 and Fort Atkinson 6-1, while losing to Verona 7-0.
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