The Platte County girls’ tennis team is shifting in an almost entirely new lineup after losing six of its top-7 players from last fall.
Ellie Fish is the one returner for the Lady Pirates. The senior was the number six singles player in 2021 and will be one of the better players for Platte County in 2022.
“One of the things I really like about her is that she’s a good teammate and she’s going to support the other girls,” Platte County head girls’ tennis coach Zachary Keith said. “She also isn’t afraid to take on challenges, she’s worked really hard to get better in the offseason.”
Platte County’s Ellie Fish is the only returning varsity player from 2021.
Platte County had a stellar season last fall, bringing home its first conference title since 2017. This year’s Platte County squad lacks the experience that it’s had in the past.
“We’re younger than we have been; we have ten seniors but half of them are playing for the first time. We have a lot of younger players who are stepping into the varsity roles,” Keith said.
When Coach Keith talked to the Platte County Citizen, he said he wasn’t sure what players would round up the top-6 when the season comes around. Senior Cosette Stephenson, junior Addy Mayne and sophomore Maggie McBratney are among a few of the Lady Pirates battling for a spot on varsity.
“I think the competition for singles will be really good, I think a lot of girls are going to step up and try to earn those spots. As far as doubles goes, what we do is teach a lot of doubles strategies and principles that everyone can use so if we have to switch up partners, we can,” Keith said.