Great Bridge goes to Class 5; Jamestown girls seek repeat
Boys storylines
Class 5 supremacy up for grabs:
As in other sports, approximately half of Class 5 teams in the state are from Hampton Roads, and thanks to Virginia High School League bracketing, the area is guaranteed a spot in the championship match. Cox made it last year as the state runner-up, thanks to quality depth, overcoming such programs as Princess Anne, Hickory, 2022 state runner-up First Colonial, Maury — which hasn’t lost an Eastern District match in eight years — and Granby. Neil Vanga, Sam Dixon and Matt Baan lead the Falcons, who beat the Commodores 8-1 Monday. The usual problem for such teams? Whoever advances from the Richmond area — Deep Run the past two years — usually turns the championship match at Huntington Park in Newport News into a coronation instead of competition.
Bay Rivers District has flurry of contenders: The Bay Rivers District often has a plethora of quality players, and this year is no exception. Jamestown has a new coach (Nick Vasquez) guiding a team that perennially challenges, at minimum, for the Class 4 Region A trophy. Led by sophomore No. 1 Keean Buirski, the Eagles lost three key players, but they won’t have to worry about Grafton as a playoff foe anymore since the Clippers dropped to Class 3. Tabb, led by Nicolas Crespo-Berker and Matthew Wornom, and Lafayette, paced by Xavier Jones, should remain contenders in Class 3. Bruton was the state runner-up in Class 2 the past two years, to different opponents, and hopes to cross that final hurdle.
Who can challenge Norfolk Academy? Coach Michael Duquette’s Bulldogs almost always are the area’s best private-school team and often its best, period. With second-team All-VISAA Joseph Hobbs returning to lead a solid team including Will Howerton and Lucas Varverud in the middle of the lineup, the Bulldogs are the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools favorites and could go deep into the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association playoffs. Norfolk Collegiate, led by senior Blake Hrisko, and Cape Henry are among the other quality teams.
Difficult to replace: Amid the returning talent, plenty from last year have gone on to the college ranks. Immediately coming to mind are 2022 state Class 5 singles champion Harrison Lee, a Princess Anne graduate occasionally starting for James Madison, and former First Colonial star Grahame Brown, who’s competing for nationally ranked Division III team Swarthmore. Also, Norfolk Collegiate must replace Charles Hobbs, who has become a reserve at LSU. Norfolk Academy will miss excellent No. 1 player Vignesh Akkina, too.
Class 6 Region A seems wide open: With an often-competitive
Ocean Lakes dropping to Class 5 and missing some seniors who played as juniors, it will be interesting to see who from the 757 can challenge the Chesterfield County teams who often reign in Class 6 Region A. A name to watch is Nolan Macedo, a strong Landstown player who’s the son of longtime Virginia Wesleyan men’s basketball coach Dave Macedo.
Five players you should know
Julian Burke, Norfolk Academy:
Not only has he been one of the best players in Hampton Roads at dual positions other than No. 1, he also is one of the brightest academic stars around. He’s set to attend the University of Richmond on a full scholarship. Rainer Christiansen, Grafton: After taking three consecutive Class 4 Region A singles titles and continuing to improve his game, the senior — last year’s state singles runner-up — gets to play his last high school season in Class 3. It was a good time for him to move to Class 3 since its threetime champion, Evan Bernstine, graduated from Goochland with a 49-0 record. Christiansen has committed to play next season for a strong Christopher Newport team coached by his dad, Eric.
Joseph Hobbs, Norfolk Academy: From one of the area’s most dedicated tennis families, he was all but unbeatable at the No. 2 position last season and looks to continue that pattern at No. 1 now.
Andrew McGuigan, Cape Henry: Rated a two-star prospect by Tennis Recruiting Network, he’s one of the best TCIS players at a school other than Norfolk Academy and should be challenging for about any opponent.
Matthew Onoff, Menchville: Last year’s surprise Class 5 Region B champion hopes to improve even further as a senior, and Maury sophomore John Felts figures to be among his toughest competitors. Onoff has a massive forehand and serve.
Girls storylines
Class 5 gets stronger: In one of Great Bridge’s best sports besides wrestling, the Wildcats’ addition to Class 5 Region A makes them an immediate threat to a girls tennis championship usually held by Beach District teams. Princess Anne built toward an historic state runner-up finish last season but lost four starters, though new coach Chris Yost will rebuild behind junior Laine Kwong and sophomore Sophia Koch. Cox, led by Ashton Ricks, should contend again. Hickory has built a consistent winner in the Southeastern District.
Bay Rivers intrigue: Can Jamestown make it three Class 4 state titles in four years? Can Poquoson break through in Class 2? Those questions stand as the most notable in the Bay Rivers District. Coach Karen Johnson’s Eagles (23-1 last year) return just three of last season’s top eight, but she said it’s a “fun, cohesive team” with “lots of rotation at the bottom of the lineup.” Tabb players Valentina Crespo-Berker and Malini Dharni and Meredith Woodruff, who has helped Poquoson to two state runner-up team finishes in three years, are among the other BRD players with strong credentials.
Road to Newport News: Huntington Park again will hold the Class 4, 5 and 6 championships for girls and boys. They’re set for June 6-8 with the team finals preceding the semifinals and finals of both doubles and singles. Virginia Tech will be the hosts for Classes 3, 2 and 1 on a virtually identical schedule.
Power vs. consistency: The pace of top players’ shots primarily has increased through the years, but high school tennis — especially among girls — shows the value of concentration and steadiness. Players who consistently can get about 10 balls back in play per point rarely lose.
Recalling the fall: Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association members play in the fall instead of the spring, so let’s not forget that Hampton Roads furnished three of 2023’s four finalists in an organization that sponsors only a team championship. Norfolk Academy, with Andersen Legum atop the lineup, was the Division I runner-up to Collegiate of Richmond. Cape Henry, paced by Lauren Yue and Mary Turner Shipp, won the Division II title in a memorable 5-4 final over Norfolk Collegiate. Shipp won the championship-clinching point at home in two consecutive seasons.
Five players you should know
Julia Clark, Jamestown: The spunky senior has led the Eagles to two Class 4 state championships. She is pursuing her first VHSL singles title, and she seems a logical choice at least to reach the singles semifinals for the first time since her freshman year. Look for her to continue playing for a strong Division III program or a mid-major D-I.
Tori Epps, Menchville: Buoyed by powerful two-handed groundstrokes on both sides and an excellent work ethic, she took the Class 5 Region B championship as a sophomore and went all the way to the state singles final. She’ll be a factor in those brackets again.
Kayla Kennedy, Great Bridge: After stunningly winning the Class 4 singles title as a freshman in 2022, she was the runner-up last year to Izzy Rotaru of Broad Run. Kennedy’s maturity, smarts and athleticism ensure she’ll remain in the hunt for a second title.
Chase London, Great Bridge: She immediately stepped into the No. 2 spot on a strong Wildcats team and joined Kennedy in reaching the Class 4 doubles final. They’ll be a threat in Class 5 now.
Elizabeth Tucker, Ocean Lakes: Since the Dolphins dropped to Class 5, one of Virginia Beach’s best players the past two years won’t have to deal with Richmond-area stars so early in the postseason and could be a Region A title contender.