The team to beat: Salpointe Catholic is poised to reclaim the Class 5A-I team state championship after winning it three of the past five years.
The Lancers lost in the state semifinal round to eventual-champion Mesa Mountain View last April, ending a two-year run as state champs. Mountain View lost its top players from 2008, while Salpointe returns its top two players: seniors Maggie McGeorge and Christine Mordaunt, who won the doubles state title last spring.
Salpointe also welcomes two talented freshmen, Lauren and Courtney Amos. The sisters are each ranked fourth in the Southwest by the United States Tennis Association in their respective age groups.
Experienced at winning: Ironwood Ridge is looking to repeat as 5A-II state champion this season. After winning last year as a youth-laden team, the Nighthawks lost only one player, gained some depth and have a year of championship experience.
Ironwood Ridge's top two players are juniors Dillon Kennedy and Timothy Holten. They won the doubles state title together last year and also play in the top two singles spots. Ironwood Ridge hopes to make the state finals for the third year in a row under third-year head coach Ryan Bais.
The up-and-comers: While Desert View's varsity team went 3-12 last year, its JV squad went 13-2. Now, many of those JV players have moved up.
The Jaguars have 38 players in their program. The top six spots belong to juniors and seniors, but there are many freshmen and sophomores whom coach Stacy Haines expects to develop on the court over the next couple of years.
Seniors Stephanie Celaya-Serventi and Carla Rodriguez are Desert View's 1-2 punch at the top of the singles lineup, and junior Kyla Kemp is No. 3 in the pecking order.
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