By Garth Shanklin
Sports Editor

The Felicity Cardinals girls’ tennis team didn’t post a fantastic record in 2015.

The team won just two of their 15 matches and finished fourth in the four-team SBAAC National Division. Williamsburg and Georgetown do not field girls’ tennis teams.

While the results in the standings may not look good, head coach James Denune said the team made great strides forward during the season.

“We graduated everybody after 2014,” Denune said. “2015 was all first-year players. We were competitive within the SBAAC, but we got dominated by some of the bigger schools. We were a lot better [at the end of the year] than we were at the beginning.”

The team will look similar to last year’s squad, but Denune says the play on the court will be different than last year.

“I think it’s going to be a noticeable difference,” Denune said. “I don’t think we’re a real powerhouse yet, but we certainly made a step from this year to last year.”

One of the key contributors for the Lady Cardinals in 2015 was Sydney Stamper, who enters her senior year coming off a first-team all-conference nod last season. Denune said her athletic experience and work ethic are beacons the other players on the team can use as guidance.

“[She] played first singles for us for majority of the year,” Denune said. “She’s probably our best player and she probably has the most athletic experience. She plays a ton of other sports as well, she’s used to what kind of work you need to put in. She’s got a good work ethic and the other girls look to her.”

While Denune said he believes the team is not quite ready to make a “serious” run at the SBAAC National Division title, he does believe the team could cause a stir in the division this year.

“I would like to be in the mix with Blanchester, Bethel and [Clermont Northeastern],” Denune said. “I’d like to hopefully at least split matches with everyone and be in the conversation at the end of the season. We may be a year away from making a serious run at a league title, but I want to be in the mix.”

The Lady Cardinals will face a tough opponent in their opener on Aug. 17 as they host Blanchester.

One day later, the Lady Cardinals will face off against another team looking to build on the 2015 season. The Bethel-Tate Lady Tigers finished last season 2-4 in the National Division, 3-13 overall. Kara Partin earned first-team all-conference honors as a sophomore, while junior teammate Alyssa Barnhouse was named to the second-team.

The Lady Tigers placed third in the division, two games behind CNE. The Lady Rockets and head coach Liz Benjamin saw four players earn postseason honors. Freshman Leah Decatur joined juniors Chandra Griffis and Cheyanne Stahl as first-team honorees while senior Jessica Glancy was named to the second-team squad. Benjamin called the team’s performance surprising, noting they just missed a co-championship.

“It was a pleasant surprise,” Benjamin said. “We had worked hard, and we were almost co-champs. It went well.”

Luckily for the Lady Rockets, most of last season’s team will return in 2016. Griffis enters her fourth season on the team, and according to Benjamin she will have an extremely important role as the first singles player.

“This is her fourth year on the team, her third year playing first singles,” Benjamin said. “Our whole season revolves around her.”

Griffis and the other two seniors have grown in their four years under Benjamin, and as such they are now the lynchpin for the CNE girls’ tennis team.

“I’ve had those girls all four years,” Benjamin said. “They’re great athletes, great team players. They’re essential. Our team is built around the senior class.”

The squad does also have four freshman, who will be expected to play important roles in 2017, according to Benjamin.

“They’re going to be rotating in at the second doubles spot,” Benjamin said. “Next year, as sophomores, they’ll fill in the gaps as the seniors leave.”

For now, however, the Lady Rockets have one task at hand.

“Our goal is to beat Blanchester and win the league,” Benjamin said.