NEW PALESTINE — After a 14-win season and first Hancock County Tournament title since 2009, the New Palestine girls tennis team will have a new look in 2024.
Coach Jean Graham’s team graduated seven seniors last year, including four varsity veterans, from the team that went 14-8 and 5-2, and in third place, in the Hoosier Heritage Conference.
Olivia Hasenkamp, last year’s No. 1 singles player, Courtney Johnson and Mia Knoop, who shared the spot at No. 3 singles and Maddy Potter, part of a varsity doubles team, have graduated.
Most of those that return from last year’s varsity group will be in new positions.
Junior Kaitlyn Mitchell moves up a spot from No. 2 singles to No. 1. She was the county champion at No. 2 singles last year, as was Hasenkamp at No. 1.
Bethany Blachly, a junior, and Josephine Harvey, a senior, were part of an All-HHC doubles team, and advanced out of the team sectional to the individual sectional doubles tournament finals.
They were 15-9 as a group last year and 5-2 in HHC matches. They won the No. 1 doubles competition in last year’s county tournament.
Blachly is moving to singles and will play at No. 2. Harvey will stay at No. 1 doubles and have a new partner, Emily Appleby, who played No. 2 doubles last season with Potter.
Junior Maizy Haynes will be the third singles player.
Seniors Amelia Schneider and Kenzie Kleiman are moving up from junior varsity to play No. 2 doubles.
We’ve got a lot of holes to fill, but we’re making progress,” Graham said. “We’ve got big shoes to fill and we’re working on it, but we’ll be competitive.”
Graham said the team’s future looks bright, too. She has a big freshman class, nine of 27 players are first-year high school students. It’s the largest class on the team (five seniors, seven sophomores, six juniors).
Elliott Graham and Riley Watts are at the top of the rookie class.
“The girls have shown up and have good attitudes,” Graham added. “It’s a nice bunch of girls and I’m real happy with them.”
The season opener scheduled for today (Wednesday) at Whiteland was called off due to inclement weather.
The team will now open with an HHC match at New Castle Friday.
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2024 New Palestine Girls Tennis Schedule
Date;Opponent;Time
April 5;at New Castle;5 p.m.
April 9;vs. Triton Central;4:30 p.m.
April 10;vs. Roncalli;5 p.m.
April 16;at Edinburgh;4:30 p.m.
April 18;vs. Yorktown;5 p.m.
April 19;Hancock Co. (at MV);4:30 p.m.
April 23;vs. Greenfield-Central;5:30 p.m.
April 24;at Lawrence Central;4:30 p.m.
April 25;vs. Delta;5:30 p.m.
April 27;at Plainfield Invitational;9 a.m.
April 29;at Waldron;5 p.m.
April 30;vs. Southwestern;5 p.m.
May 2;at Greenwood;5 p.m.
May 3;at Shelbyville;5 p.m.
May 4;at Franklin Invitational;10 a.m.
May 6;vs. Mt. Vernon;4:30 p.m.
May 7;vs. Greensburg;5 p.m.
May 10;vs. Pendleton Heights;4:30 p.m.
