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Eagles retain youth, add experience in girls tennis

By Travis Rosenau 5 min read

NEW ULM -- After needing some time last year to find their identity with a young team, the New Ulm Eagles girls tennis team has retained that youth but added another year of varsity experience for several players.

Last year, the Eagles had just one senior in singles competition with Lilly Kral and their No. 1 doubles duo of Kaylee Evans and Everly Batt were also seniors. Lydia Osborne and Chloe Kelly were two other seniors who played varsity last year that graduated, giving a few younger players more opportunities to step up this year.

Overall, though, ninth-year head coach Pete Engeldinger said there aren't many spots to figure out this year as the team didn't graduate too many seniors from last season.

"I don’t know if that’s scary or just kind of welcoming [laughs]," Engeldinger said. "We lost Lilly Kral, she played 3 singles, and we lost her and she was kind of a consistent win. Then we had some some girls playing some doubles who were were pretty solid, but they happened to be kind of decent athletes who started late."

Back this year are three singles players from last year, and junior Maggie Joyce is expected to jump from doubles to singles action this year.

"We have our 1, 3 of our 4 singles back from last year," Engeldinger said. "So, Natalie Fischer and Carmen Schotzko at 1 and 2. They played both there and then Avah Kruse had played 4 pretty much all year [last season], and she’s moved up to 3. Maggie Joyce, she’s in the same boat kind of like our 1 and 2 doubles last year that started in 10th grade or 11th grade, rather, so by that second season last year as seniors, they weren't so bad, but it was one of those deals where, 'Dang, if you guys had come out 10th grade or something, it would have been a completely different story.'"

Engeldinger said he's happy to see more athletes decide to join the tennis program, but he wishes some would join even a year earlier because the sport takes time to learn and get comfortable with.

While the singles roster is fairly locked in, Engeldinger said he has some things to figure out in doubles action yet.

"We've got to figure out some doubles matchups," Engeldinger said. "There’s sort of a compatibility with a partner and you have to sort of settle in and really kind of get to know each other and and all that. That’s a lot of tennis, and it’s a lot of time together, and that takes some doing. So, that’s where we’re at."

The Eagles don't have any doubles teams back that played together last year, but there are 25 registered players out this year and plenty of opportunities for players to earn a spot.

"We had at our 3 doubles, we had Brielle Evans, and a girl named Eleanor Grathwohl," Engeldinger said. "They could maybe be our 1 dubs, but that’s not where they’re at right now. Brielle ended up playing singles [last Friday]. I can see her at that 1 doubles, for sure. Who her partner is -- it’s going to be a good question whether it’s Eleanor. Eleanor I think took the summer off and she lives kind of far away, and it’s tricky to get to the courts. So, she’s got to get kind of her game back. Lilly Rieger is kind of finding her way into the mix, so she might be that 1 doubles team. She’s played the [first three] matches at that 1 spot."

Engeldinger said Edith Albrecht, Caroline Wunderlin, Annika Wyffels and Ellie Martinka are some other options to fill in spots at doubles, but it will take some time to figure out a steady lineup.

Engeldinger said he's seen improvement all around from his singles players this year, starting with his No. 4 singles player Maggie Joyce.

"I definitely think at that 4 singles with Maggie Joyce, I know she’s gonna be good," Engeldinger said. "She’s going to be ready to roll. She's fit, and that’s the thing. With tennis, you've got to be able to go, and with her hoops background, she’s got great court presence and all that. Natalie’s going to be solid, too. She’s looking good. Carmen Schotzko really is gonna step up her game. She and Natalie sort of switched off last year, and that’s kind of going on this year at 1 and 2, and then Ava Kruse at 3, she takes a little. She takes a little to kind of get warmed up as well in her game."

Engeldinger said he's also seen a lot of improvement from Brielle Evans and Eleanor Grathwohl in doubles action from last year.

The Eagles were 5-13 last year. They are 0-3 to start this year, but the beginning of the season hasn't given them any cushy competition, having to take on Le Sueur-Henderson (14-9 in 2025), Mankato East (20-4) and Blue Earth Area (14-7).

"Looking at most of the teams in our conference, they didn’t lose much at all," Engeldinger said. "So, Waseca and St. Peter and Blue Earth. … Fairmont. All those guys are gonna be just good, period. We’re gonna have some problems with that."

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