By Chris Parker
There are many talented girls tennis players across our coverage area. Below are some of the girls tennis players to watch this season.
NOTE: The athletes are listed in alphabetical order.
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Ann Beatty, Glendale Junior
Beatty and teammate Olivia Edwards won a district doubles title last year. Her overall doubles record was 16-10 in 2021 with a 12-4 overall record in singles.
Jenna Besperat, Carl Junction Junior
Besperat was one half of Carl Junction’s No. 1 doubles team with Shirley Sherwood last year. The duo were district champion with a 20-12 overall record and a state qualification in Class 2.
“They (Besperat and teammate Naijah Wurdeman) should once again be two of our top players,” Carl Junction tennis coach Craig Fox said. “Their leadership has already been on display this offseason and early this season. They are quick to lead drills and take the newer players under their wings and show them what is expected to compete at a higher level. They are both competitors at the highest level and don’t back down from competing against each other during practice which sets the tone for the rest of the girls. My expectations are that they continue to push each other to get better and set their personal goals and team goals to improve upon last year’s results. I love that they are natural leaders. I did not have to ask them to do so, they just do it.”
Brett Boney, Central Senior
Boney earned a Class 3 state berth in the doubles draw last season with the graduated Allie German. She posted a 20-4 record in singles and 20-5 record in doubles. Boney and German were the runner-up at the Springfield Invitational Tournament last year. She is a two-time unanimous all-conference selection and three-time academic all-conference honoree.
“Brett is competitive and composed. She handles stressful situations better than most players and never gives up,” Central tennis coach Donita Cox said. “I expect the two (Boney and teammate Elana Hadi) will be difficult to beat and will be team leaders for younger players. They are fantastic players and excellent leaders for this team.”
Brynley Brotherton, Kickapoo Senior
Brotherton and graduated doubles partner Ester Choe were the area’s best doubles team in 2021. They finished fourth place in Class 2 doubles with an overall record of 26-3. The duo were champions of both their district and the Springfield Invitational. Over the past three years, Brotherton and Choe were 76-8 as a tandem. Individually, Brotherton was undefeated in singles as a junior with an 18-0 record.
“Her greatest strength is her speed, never wants to concede a point and intelligent shot making,” Kickapoo tennis coach Eric Wilbur said. “This along with always being happy and laughing does help to keep her teammates loose and happy during match play which makes her a standout player.”
McKylie Cox, Willow Springs Senior
Cox will be the No. 1 player for Willow Springs this year coming off a season where she posted a 15-3 record as a singles player and a 22-5 record as a doubles player. She returns her doubles partner from that state run in fellow senior Madisyn Perkins.
“McKylie and Madisyn are both really hard workers. They have put a ton of work in over the summers to improve their game. They are both smart players. They have both grown in their games to be able to play both back at the baseline and up at the net and be effective at both locations, which really improved their doubles game and led to them having such a strong finish to their season earning all-state honors,” Willow Springs tennis coach David Cox said. “My expectations are that they will finish their tennis careers playing at a very high level and have a ton of fun doing it. They have been not only some of the best players that I have ever coached but great young ladies that excel at every part of life.”
Allison Ding, Thomas Jefferson Junior
Ding was the top player on a strong Thomas Jefferson team that finished 12-2 overall last year with a district title. Ding posted a 25-3 record as a singles player on her way to a seventh place finish at the Class 1 state singles tournament.
Olivia Edwards, Glendale Senior
Edwards was a force last year whether she was playing singles or doubles. The Glendale senior posted a 14-2 overall record as a singles player and 21-5 record in doubles. She qualified for state in Class 2 in doubles with partner Ann Beatty.
Elana Hadi, Central Junior
Hadi was one of the area’s top singles players last year earning a berth to the Class 3 state tournament. She had an overall singles record of 22-2 with a doubles record of 18-6 last year. She was runner-up in singles at the Springfield Invitational Tournament while earning her second-all-conference honors. Hadi is also a two-time academic all-conference honoree.
“Elana is competitive and focused. She has great strategy and knows how to find weaknesses in other players,” Central tennis coach Donita Cox said. “I expect the two (Hadi and teammate Brett Boney) will be difficult to beat and will be team leaders for younger players. They are fantastic players and excellent leaders for this team.”
Isabella Mosley, Mt. Vernon Senior
Mosley qualified for state in doubles with teammate Allison Schubert last year. The pair will return to the court this year as well.
“Allie and Bella work very well together,” Mt. Vernon tennis coach Kaylee Hood said. “They are great communicators. They move on the court as one. They hold each other accountable and they are very calm under pressure. Allie is a natural leader on our team and holds her teammates to a high standard. Bella is a strategic thinker. She can see the court as a whole, and she is able to put the ball where she wants to.”
Madisyn Perkins, Willow Springs Senior
Perkins was an all-state finisher at the Class 1 state doubles tournament with teammate McKylie Cox. She posted a 12-6 overall singles record and 20-6 overall doubles record in her junior year.
“McKylie and Madisyn are both really hard workers. They have put a ton of work in over the summers to improve their game. They are both smart players. They have both grown in their games to be able to play both back at the baseline and up at the net and be effective at both locations, which really improved their doubles game and led to them having such a strong finish to their season earning all-state honors,” Willow Springs tennis coach David Cox said. “My expectations are that they will finish their tennis careers playing at a very high level and have a ton of fun doing it. They have been not only some of the best players that I have ever coached but great young ladies that excel at every part of life.”
Allison Schubert, Mt. Vernon Senior
Schubert qualified for state in doubles with teammate Isabella Mosley last year. The pair will return to the court this year to lead Mt. Vernon.
“After losing four graduating seniors, Allie and Bella have taken their leadership roles on the team very seriously,” Mt. Vernon tennis coach Kaylee Hood said. “They are working very hard to make it back to state competition and to progress even further than last year. As a coach, I see their desire to accomplish this goal and I am very excited for them.”
Chloe Stenger, Glendale Junior
Stenger had a strong sophomore season that saw her post a 15-8 record in singles and 10-7 record in doubles. She earned all-conference honors with a second-place finish in the district tournament on her way to a state qualification in Class 2 Singles.
Liliana Strang, Glendale Senior
Strang earned a berth to the Class 2 state tournament in doubles as a junior. She and her partner, the graduated Alyssa Akin, went 1-2 at the state tournament. Strang posted a 7-3 singles and 8-10 doubles record overall last year.
Sophia Vestal, Bolivar Senior
Vestal posted a 22-10 overall singles record as a junior on her way to an eighth-place finish at the Class 1 state tournament. She will look to better that result this year while leading a strong Bolivar team.
“Soph brings the spirit and energy that the team just feeds off of,” Bolivar tennis coach Nathan Rothdiener said. “She’s worked really hard this summer and looks to lead the team on another run in the postseason.”
Brynley Waters, Bolivar Junior
Waters earned a sixth-place finish at the Class 2 state doubles tournament last year posting a 29-7 record overall in doubles. She is also a strong singles player as evidenced by her 18-2 record in singles.
“Brynley has been the steady and consistent player for us since her freshman year,” Bolivar coach Nathan Rothdiener said. “She has a quiet demeanor about her, but her play and passion for the game speaks loudly. She’s always out on the courts working hard to get better.”
Emma Watts, Joplin Senior
Watts was one half of one of the area’s top doubles tandems last year with the graduated Astrid Cardenas. The duo posted a record of 25-1 on the way to qualifying for the state tournament.
“Emma is a very aggressive player and excels at doubles. She can visualize and hit the angles while also playing strategically,” Joplin tennis coach Benjamin Coltharp said. “Losing her doubles partner to graduation, Astrid Cardenas, it will be tough to exceed their record from last year. However, I’m confident that her and her new doubles partner will do very well and win a lot of matches.”
Naijah Wurdeman, Carl Junction Sophomore
Wurdeman was Carl Junction’s No. 1 player as a freshman. She was 13-9 overall in singles finishing district runner-up on her way to a state qualification as a singles player.
“They (Wurdeman and teammate Jenna Besperat) should once again be two of our top players,” Carl Junction tennis coach Craig Fox said. “Their leadership has already been on display this offseason and early this season. They are quick to lead drills and take the newer players under their wings and show them what is expected to compete at a higher level. They are both competitors at the highest level and don’t back down from competing against each other during practice which sets the tone for the rest of the girls. My expectations are that they continue to push each other to get better and set their personal goals and team goals to improve upon last year’s results. I love that they are natural leaders. I did not have to ask them to do so, they just do it.”
