Two tough matches to start season for Niwot girls tennis

Non-league opening losses to Fairview High School and Valor Christian High School ought to have flushed out any early season jitters for perennially strong Niwot High School girls varsity tennis.

Going into the season's first conference match against Skyline High School at home this week, coach Aimee Hites is confident her team will have what it takes to compete. It begins with numbers and Niwot saw 60 girls come out for tennis this spring. That's the most ever, according to the long-time Niwot tennis coach and physical education teacher.

Niwot's top two singles players are senior Alys Pop and freshman Kolli Sahasra. The number three singles spot will be filled by either junior Tracy Yu or sophomore Cassie Chen.

The number one doubles team pairs sophomore Samantha Zacky with either Yu or Chen, while their number two team has junior Harper Behmer competing with Anne Haley and Magnolia Valentine, both sophomores.

The number three doubles spot will consist of junior Sarada Gundavarapu with either one of the competitors for a higher doubles slot or sophomore Masha Oshmyan. Caitlyn Carmichael and Lucie Kareus, two more sophomores, are battling for positions on the number four doubles team.

Despite the rough start, great things have come to be expected in tennis at Niwot as Coach Hites has taken teams of both girls and boys to the state championships in recent years and the team is expected to battle for the conference title again in 2023.