Ledyard — Lillian James is competitive. She's ranked No. 1 in the senior class at New London High School, she's served as the drum major of the marching band, been to the state tournament with the school's math team and is a swimmer for the Thames Aquatic Club.

Now is the time for tennis.

James is the No. 1 singles player for the New London girls' tennis team, which is 5-5 overall and attempting to qualify for the state tournament for the first time since girls' tennis became a spring sport in 2001.

The Whalers have a roster of 29 girls, necessitating that longtime coach Leah Ward  hold separate practices for the varsity and junior varsity for the first time. Ward kept a large group of freshmen, she said, so that they might have the opportunity to learn from this group of spirited departing seniors.

The Whalers were a combined 9-44 overall, 0-24 in divisional play the past three seasons.

"This is the biggest team we've had," James said this week following her team's 5-2 victory over Ledyard, which got the Whalers back to .500, the winning percentage the team will need to qualify for the Class S state tournament. "It's nice to see the younger kids trying the sport.

"We've never made states in my years. That would be so great, amazing. We have a chance. It's a little bit stressful."

Ward calls her team agreeable. James is willing to take on the opposing team's best player every match. She lost 6-1, 6-3 to Ledyard's Olivia Lyon on Friday, but challenged Lyon with several drawn-out rallies.

Meanwhile, seniors Susane Ortizdevillate won at No. 2 singles and Tsering Buti at No. 3.

The Whalers even had to deal with adversity against Ledyard, missing No. 4 singles player Brynn Doughty, out with an injury. But New London, tied 2-2 with Ledyard entering the doubles matches, came out with a sweep of the doubles, including the first-time varsity team of Jalyn Scruggs and Olivia Santana.

Scruggs and Santana won 6-3, 7-6 (5) ... even though they were a little unsure of how to proceed with the second-set tiebreaker and Scruggs kept shyly apologizing to her opponents for hitting smashes for winners at the net.

Once, Ward praised Scruggs, shouting, "Beautiful shot, Jalyn!" Responded Scruggs, a junior, wondering what came next in the tiebreaker: "Thank you. So now what?"

"It's great," Ortizdevillate said of the learning process. "I started off freshman year knowing nothing about tennis. It was definitely hard work. Having Ms. Ward as a coach, she teaches us a lot. She taught me everything I know. She helps my swing. She tells me what I'm doing wrong.

"People at school say, 'Tennis?' I defend it. I say, 'Come watch us play.' It's the sport I love."

That Ward, in her 28th season, passed along her love for tennis is no surprise. She still competes at the United States Tennis Association level in doubles for several local teams.

Ward, who resides in Waterford, has taught physical education at New London since 1981. Her husband, Kent, is the director of a New London non-profit organization called Heavy Hitters USA, which provides after-school and early evening boxing, wrestling and conditioning programs for kids and young adults from New London and surrounding towns. Ward said her husband hopes to add tennis to his program, as well.

"Most of these seniors, it's their fourth year," Ward said of the upperclassmen who have carried the Whalers this far. "They're great kids. Good sportsmanship. Hard workers. They fit everything in."

Ward said she hasn't shied away from talking about the state tournament with her players. They're competitive enough to want that for their team, too.

"Most of them knew it: This is the year," Ward said. "We started talking about it a little bit last year. Now we're definitely talking about it.

"... With the older kids, I'm trying to introduce a few more advanced things. With some of the younger kids you're saying, 'Come get a racket out of my office.' They show such progress. It's wonderful to see such progress."

The turnout surprised Ward on the first day of practice. Also the volleyball coach, she said there was a large freshman class who tried out for volleyball, as well, perhaps pointing to an exuberant and athletic class of ninth-graders at New London.

"One time after a game, we hit with the JV ... they ask all these questions," Ortizdevillate said. "I really don't know (why there's so many freshmen). The first day of practice, we had conditioning. I thought they were probably going to decrease, but no.

"In the beginning, we were talking about the possibility of going to states. ... Thinking about it gives me chills."

v.fulkerson@theday.com

Twitter: @vickieattheday