A new coach and an almost entirely new varsity lineup give the West Plains girls tennis team a distinctly different look this year.
The Zizzers went 8-6 last season. This season, Jordan Letterman takes over as head coach after serving as an assistant last year. West Plains graduated seven seniors, leaving Letterman with a completely fresh slate.
Four seniors return, while senior Melak Tekle has reached out about joining the team. Promise Russell and June Sanderson are expected to be key players to watch. Russell stepped into the varsity lineup late last season.
“I think their ability to adapt and learn really quick, with just very little experience is going to be their strength this season for sure,” Letterman said.
Letterman wants players to become more confident and aggressive, stepping away from defensive shots to hit winners. He noted the gap between the bottom of the varsity lineup and the top of the junior varsity group is much smaller, which will push players to challenge each other in practice. Doubles pairings will also require careful consideration, as Letterman wants to preserve established JV connections and prioritize personal chemistry.
For Letterman, instruction ultimately comes back to one basic principle: consistency.
“There's something my college coach always would say, and he goes, ‘A ball in is a good ball,’” Letterman said. “At the end of the day, tennis is just about getting the ball over the net. We hit lots of balls every day just trying to build our consistency and build our confidence.”
With a similar schedule to last year, Letterman sees a .500 season as a starting point.
“If they make those jumps each week, I could see us going probably a little over .500, and maybe getting to the second round of postseason,” he said.
Readers can find the full-length feature story, additional photos and season schedule in the Quill’s free 44-page Zizzer Fall Sports Preview Magazine. Copies may be picked up at area businesses and home games.
