2025 Season
Tryouts August 11-15, 7-8:45 a.m. at the CLS Tennis Center. Practice begins August 18 from 3:45-5:15 p.m. at the CLS Tennis Center.
Questions? Contact Coach Drury via email: mr.williamdrury@gmail.com
2024 Season Summary
By Coach Drury
Overall the 2024 CLS JV Girls was a good one in many ways. With many returning players, their win/loss record improved over the 2023 season. As individuals they continued to develop and mature as competitive players. Finally, they were a group having fun and a fun group with which to be. With five Junior players, the Sophomore and Freshmen girls were able to benefit from the leadership and maturity of the more veteran players. Co-Captain Jackie Rao, her second year as Captain, kept the outlook of the girls positive in what turned out the be a difficult competitive season. Her prematch pep talks were always upbeat and fun. Ananya Banerjee proved herself to be a consistent doubles player and a versatile partner winning matches with multiple team members. New to tennis in general, Riley Hill proved herself by winning 2 of her 4 singles outings. Third year players Divija Rao and Zoe Panzo both contributed to singles wins; it should be noted that Zoe won her last two matches. Sophomores Saanvi Gaddam and Hattie Young (Co-Captain) led the singles line up for most of the season and made significant improvement in the technical skills. Katheryn Wu proved herself to be a tough opponent with her stamina, consistent slice serve and her powerful forehand. Most notable about the three sophomore players was how their development of points improved. Freshmen players included Grace Porcher, Claire Siever, Nora Panzo and Radhika Dutt. Throughout the season Grace and Claire were consistently in the top 6 singles line up; Grace’s game relied heavily on her foot speed and stamina, while Claire’s consistent baseline play kept her close in her many matches. Nora and Radhika improved throughout the season with Nora working her way into the doubles line up and Radhika playing singles and doubles.
2023 Season Summary
The 2023 CLS JV Girls' Tennis record was 4-7, with one incomplete match. Our young roster improved from week to week as they became stronger and more savvy – improvement gained through dedicated time, practice, and commitment. The turning point of the season began with the fifth match, a very close loss (4-5). Success is rarely linear but the team won 3 of their last 4 matches, beating two teams to whom they had lost earlier in the season. Freshmen Emma Wilson (11-1), Saanvi Gaddam (5-2) and Hattie Young (6-4) had strong results in singles, and the duo of Wilson with sophomore Jackie Rao won 5 of their 10 doubles matches. There was great chemistry among the girls on the team, due in part to the great leadership from co-captains Rao and Evy Linker. Well done, Hawks!
2022 Season Summary
The 2022 Latin JV tennis season was a renewal year. With only four returning players, this year’s squad had much to learn. The season began with seven straight losses, yet their enthusiasm for tennis never waned. This was in large part due to the leadership of the team’s three juniors Neesa Phadke, Ansley Hoffman and Katherine Dubose, and sophomore Molly Schnyder (we shall not forget “Molly Time”). Their positive attitudes and inclusiveness buoyed the team through some difficult competitions and the team finished by winning five of the last six matches.
This winning streak was the result of significant improvement in the players. Katherine Dubose, Molly Schnyder, Ananya Banerjee, Angelina Yang, Jackie Rao and Jolin Cheng all made notable strides in their tennis development. Evy Linker and Divija Rao’s efforts and determination led to remarkable improvement in their tennis skills. Hannah Blackhall and Zoe Panzo played inspired doubles throughout the season while both won singles matches in the final tie. One of the intrinsic values of JV tennis is to foster skill development, and this year was a successful step in adding to the foundation of Latin's strong girls' tennis program.
2021 Season Summary
The '21 Latin Girls JV tennis team ended this fall with a record of 9 wins and 2 losses. The team performed well, splitting home and away matches only with Charlotte Catholic and Providence Day School. Against all other schools, the Hawks won every match. Every player showed improvement throughout the season, and contributed one or more wins to the team's record. Sophomore Madilyn Wargo and freshman Maddie Larsh deserve recognition for their performance: Wargo played Line 1 in singles and doubles (with various partners), recording 16 wins with no losses. Larsh's superb management of doubles play secured wins in 9 of 11 matches played with different partners. Juniors Kayla Tillman, Kate Godwin and Joy Boyake's loyalty to the team and maturity are appreciated as they made both practices and matches fun. It was a good team and a fun season!
2020 Season Summary
From Coach Drury: "The 2020 girls' junior varsity tennis team is an example of the growing interest in tennis at Charlotte Latin, with sixteen girls on the roster. The origins of this interest have to be the success that the varsity program has experienced over the past several seasons.
The JV girls were 4-2 in inter-conference play. We had solid wins over Charlotte Christian and Charlotte Country Day and two close losses to Provident Day School. Overall, they won 39 of the 66 (59%) lines played. While freshmen made up the majority of the top six lines, sophomore and junior contributions were significant, especially in lines 3 and 4.
The purpose of junior varsity tennis is two-fold: To prepare some players for playing varsity tennis and to foster an enjoyment of the sport regardless of experience level. The focus is on every player improving their technical skills so they can apply the skills in successful match play. Coaches Murphy and Drury were very pleased with the work ethic of the team and the improvement that they witnessed over the season."
