Following are the 2024 high school preview capsules for girls’ tennis:

ECC

Division I

East Lyme

Coach: Laurie Zrenda (20th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Avni Kabra, Sr. Avery Rindell, So. Valentina Schiano, Jr. Veronica Castro, Jr. Nina McKiernan, Jr. Addison Kan, Jr. Jayden Price, Jr. Erin Tjardes, Sr. Meghana Gogate, So. Lila Aram, So. Ruby Thoms.

Top newcomers: Fr. Isabella Villarreal, Fr. Jessica Feng, So. Peini Lin.

Outlook: Although East Lyme (7-9 overall, 0-6 in the division last year) loses their former ECC Division I all-star, Mara Wolff, due to graduation, the Vikings have ample depth in both singles and doubles to compete in their division. Zrenda said: “I still think we’ll have a strong singles lineup. We have several doubles players that have one to two years of varsity experience, so I’m hopeful that we will have a successful season.”

Fitch

Coach: Todd Higgins (25th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Julia Mielguj (singles), Jr. Charlotte Beaulieu (singles), Jr. Maddie Beaulieu (singles), Sr. Fiza Shariff (singles), Jr. Izzy Ash (doubles), Jr. Ada Ellis (doubles), Jr. Kelly Turley (doubles).

Top newcomers: So. Lucy Doyle-Kucy (doubles), So. Katie Virtue (doubles), Sr. Nicolle Cardona (doubles), Jr. Ava Kennedy (doubles).

Outlook: The Falcons (12-6, 3-3) bring back ECC all-star Julia Mielguj and honorable mentions Ada Ellis and Izzy Ash. With a seasoned singles and doubles ladder, Higgins says that his team looks to be competitive in the division this spring.

Stonington

Coach: George Crouse (37th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Grace Duggan (singles), Jr. Marcella Hamm (singles), Sr. Lauren Buckley, Sr. Ekaterina Snegovskikh, Sr. Maya Bengston, Jr. Bethany Schoenecker, So. Gwendolyn McGugan, Jr. Danielle Liston, Sr. Angelina Williams, Jr. Marina Lewandowski, Jr. Misha Lewandowski.

Top newcomers: Sr. Josephine McDermott.

Outlook: With an ECC Division I championship and a Class M state finals appearance last season, the Bears (16-2, 6-0) look to reach that level once again in 2024. The 5-foot-11, powerful Duggan was the ECC tournament singles runner-up last season to Waterford’s Sarah Hage, falling in three sets and Stonington also boasts returning doubles champs in Snegovskikh and Buckley, who defeated teammates McGugan and Williams in the final, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. A number of the players were also on the Stonington team which won the 2022 Class M title. Crouse said: “We have a seasoned team that should compete in ECCs and states.”

Waterford

Coach: Ed Kolnaski (8th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Sarah Hage (singles), Sr. Michelle Liu (singles), Sr. Ava Tinnerello (singles), Sr. Maple Siu (doubles), Sr. Bri Kilcomons (doubles), Sr. Grace Stilphen (doubles).

Top newcomers: Jr. Mandy Gamble (doubles).

Outlook: With several seniors returning for the Lancers (11-6, 3-3), including three-time ECC singles champion Sarah Hage, followed by Liu and Tinnerello at Nos. 2 and 3 singles, Waterford looks to give it another run with its veteran roster. Kolnaski said: “We’re looking forward to a good year with many returning players.”

Division II

Ledyard

Coach: Emily Lehet (2nd season)

Key returnees: Sr. Claire Fenaughty (singles), Sr. Sarah Banach (singles), Sr. Cassie Rice (singles), So. Rachel Kulterman (singles), Jr. Alanah Maranzano (doubles).

Top newcomers: Jr. Anna Maynard (doubles), Izzy Treaster (doubles).

Outlook: After ending the season with the best record in ECC Division III at 12-4 overall (8-0 in the division), the Colonels move up to Division II for the 2024 season. Ledyard returns Division III all-stars in Fenaughty (singles) and Maranzano (doubles). Lehet says: “This is a strong team with a solid mix of returning and new athletes who have a great attitude.”

NFA

Coach: Chris Portelance (6th season)

Top returnees: Jr. Leeya Fabry (singles), Jr. Katie Lavoie (singles), Jr. Paulina Grzelczak (singles), Jr. Abby Limanni, Jr. Ruby Chiu, So. Talia Gonzalez.

Top newcomers: Fr. Peyton Welch, Fr. Skylarre Brown, Fr. Christiza Lustin, Jr. Maria Osterburg Jr.

Outlook: Losing six players to graduation, Portelance and the Wildcats (5-9, 2-4) look to develop and improve in the 2024 season. He said: “Facing strong teams in ECC Division I (on the regular-season schedule), it'll be a rebuilding year, with hopes of improving enough to make states.” Fabry, an ECC all-star last season, and Lavoie will serve as co-captains.

(Killingly and Woodstock Academy also compete in Division II.)

Division III

Montville

Coach: Jeff Brown (2nd season)

Key returnees: Jr. Allie Kondash, Jr. Jess Hochdorfer, Jr. Anneliese Beauchene.

Top newcomers: So. Kelly Chen, So. Angilina Liu.

Outlook: An overall learning experience for Brown and the Wolves last year, going 0-14. With only one senior on the roster coming into this season, however, Montville has another year to develop its roster. Beauchene was an ECC Division III honorable mention pick. Said Brown: “We are young, but gained some valuable experience last year that will help us compete.”

New London

Coach: Adwoa Bandele-Asante (2nd season)

Key returnees: Jr. Widbery Ledoux (singles), Jr. Cashel Jones (singles), Sr. Aisha Jules (singles), Sr. Jayla Taylor (singles), Sr. Shaina Jean-Francois (doubles), Jr. Nakayla Isaac (doubles), Sr. Nysa Agathos (doubles), So. Michaella Skyers (doubles).

Top newcomers: Fr. Genesis Barbosa, Sr. Lillian Clark, Fr. Ja’leahya Clark, So. Leonitza Moore.

Outlook: The Whalers went 4-9 overall last year, 4-4 in the ECC. However, second-year head coach Bandele-Asante has high hopes for the 2024 season. “The Whaler plan is to keep on improving,” the coach said. “We won some last year and are stronger and more confident this year due to increased work both in and out of season.”

St. Bernard

Coach: Kerrie Axt (4th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Sasha Manzione (singles), Sr. Merzako Kambolli (singles), Sr. Zhuning Gao (singles), Jr. Blake Murray (singles), Sr. Theany Nguyen (doubles), Sr. Carmela Rangel (doubles), Sr. Prishtina Gashi (doubles), Jr. Abigail McCarron (doubles).

Top newcomers: Sr. Ava Little (doubles), Sr. Kaylee Jennings (doubles).

Outlook: Returning ECC Division III all-stars Murray, Manzione and the doubles team of Nguyen-Gashi return for the Saints (6-10, 6-2), who did not lose anyone from last season. That leaves Axt confident they can be competitive in Division III, which will be wide open with the departure of Ledyard for Division II. Axt said: “Our singles lineup looks good, as does our No. 1 doubles team.” Gao, who was the ECC Girls’ Fencer of the Year during the winter season, has returned to play after taking last season off and Axt calls her “a strong, determined player.”

(Lyman Memorial and Windham/Windham Tech also compete in Division III.)

Others

Norwich Tech

Coach: Emily Hayes (24th season)

Key returnees: Jr. Emily Pomerleau (doubles), Jr. Zerrin Ratzer (doubles), Sr. Alyssa Mikolajczak (singles), Sr. Amaris Moreno (singles), Jr. Alejandra Cardona (singles), Jr. Sophia Cabellero (singles).

Outlook: With only two players leaving from the previous year, Norwich Tech is reloaded and ready to compete in the Connecticut Technical Conference. Hayes said: “We have been working hard on our foot skills and strategies and there is a significant improvement from last year’s start. No. 1 doubles (Pomerlau-Ratzer) and singles look strong and are eager to begin competitions.”

Old Lyme

Coach: Lauren Rahr (4th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Elania Morosky, Sr. Aggie Hunt, Sr. Beatrice Hunt, Sr. Natalie Buckley, So. Katherine Zhang, So. Stella Young, So. Rose Dimmock.

Top newcomers: Jr. Emma Arelt, Fr. Allegra Schaedler, So. Elizaveta Gregoire, Jr. Charlotte Tinniswood, Jr. Ada LaConti, Sr. Eva D’Onofrio.

Outlook: Old Lyme enters the season with a 66-match winning streak and three straight Class S state titles, with Rahr never losing a match in her young career. The Wildcats (23-0) lost five key contributors from last year’s team, including No. 1 singles player Sam Tan and No. 1 doubles juggernaut Alexis Fenton and Livie Bass, the two-time Shoreline Conference doubles champs. Rahr, however, believes that the Old Lyme passion and determination to win will persist in this new group of players. “We are looking forward to the learning opportunities this season will bring and going through them together as a team,” Rahr said.