2009 All-Area Girls Tennis Team

Coach of the Year

Jill Murray

SCHOOL: E.C. Glass

YEAR: 11th

RECORD: 11-3ALL-STAR STUFF: In their final season competing in the Western Valley District, Murray guided the Hilltoppers to their 12th consecutive district title and 28th in the past 30 years, going a perfect 10-0 against district foes. Though it hasn’t reached the Group AAA state tournament as a team since in four or five seasons, Glass advanced one step closer than the year before, beating Mountain View 5-0 in the Northwest Region quarterfinals before trailing 4-2 after singles play and losing to eventual regional champion Loudoun Valley 5-2 in the semifinal. The Hilltoppers’ only other losses came early in the season against eventual Group AAA state champion Mills Godwin and Deep Run. “This group really clicked and worked well together,” Murray said. “A lot of teams have girls drama going on. This team didn’t. It was a cohesive group.” She has benefited from having players come in with enough competitive experience, and quality instruction from club pros such as Drew Robinson (Boonsboro), Mark Vines (Oakwood) and Joel Moylan of The Sports Racket, that she can focus on teaching match strategy, with an emphasis on doubles. “They come in with all the tools,” Murray said. “Most all of them are taking lessons somewhere. What we do is practice doubles, being able to communicate and strategize on the court. As strategy goes, they all matured as tennis players throughout the season.” The Hilltoppers could hold their own in doubles against most every team they faced. “Loudoun Valley had the No. 1 doubles team in the region (but) if we’d have pulled out one more singles match, we would have had a really good chance,” Murray said. “Being really confident you’d win two of your three doubles matches is a good tool in your toolbox going into a match.” She challenged her players to continue to develop their games in the offseason. “I told them I wanted to see them all in at least three tournaments this summer, five of them would be better,” said Murray, who formerly played tennis at Virginia Tech. “That’s how you get to the point where you can contend at the state level. You can’t just hit the ball. You have to compete year-round.”

Singles

Seraina Disler

SCHOOL: Rustburg

YEAR: Senior

SEED: No. 1 singlesALL-STAR STUFF: Though she’s only considered a sophomore in her homeland of Switzerland, Disler took the Seminole by storm this spring. “She was easily the best player in the district,” coach Nikki Hughes said. “She beat everybody.” She split with Heritage’s Brittany Wilson and finished the season at 15-2 after advancing to the Region III semifinals with a win over a player from Northside. “She’s kind of got it all,” Hughes said. “She’s a smart player, very consistent. She’s a tall girl, probably 5-8 or 5-9, which helped keep her power consistent. She’s very good at approaching the net and light on her feet.” Patience is one area she could improve in. “She plays close to the lines and wants to go for the winners,” Hughes said.

Adrianne Chamberlain

SCHOOL: Virginia Episcopal School

YEAR: Senior

SEED: No. 1 singles ALL-STAR STUFF: A first-team all-Blue Ridge Conference first-team selection, Chamberlain was overpowering at times, like in her 8-3 victory over Covenant that sparked a 5-4 match win and her 8-0 triumph over Holy Cross in a 9-0 shutout.

Brittany Wilson

SCHOOL: Heritage

YEAR: Junior

SEED: No. 1 singles

ALL-STAR STUFF: Wilson, who dealt Disler one of her two defeats on the season, was forced to withdraw from her Seminole District individual singles semifinal match against Jefferson Forest’s Meghan Canter with an injury. She had posted a 9-2 regular-season record before that point and earned the No. 1 seed in the tournment.

Holly McWane

SCHOOL: VES

YEAR: Senior

SEED: No. 2 singles ALL-STAR STUFF: Joining Chamberlain on the all-BRC first team, McWane was close to perfect at No. 2 singles, shutting out her opponent from Liberty Christian Academy after suffering a rare defeat in the BRC singles tournament quarterfinals. McWane and Helen Woolard won 8-2 at No. 2 doubles to clinch the 5-4 win over Covenant.

Brooke Hutchison

SCHOOL: Jefferson Forest

YEAR: Junior

SEED: No. 2 singles ALL-STAR STUFF: Hutchison, like No. 3-seeded singles player Sarah Ranowsky and No. 4 Jane Oh, sailed through the regular season undefeated. She also teamed with No. 1 seed Meghan Canter on occasion at No. 1 doubles and played exceptionally well.

Doubles

Kaitlin Swann/Taylor Riley

SCHOOL: E.C. Glass

YEARS: Junior/Junior

SEED: No. 1 doubles

ALL-STAR STUFF: Swann (11-2) and Riley (9-2) shone equally brightly at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, respectively. Together, they formed a formidable doubles duo, going 8-2 overall, playing with confidence in their net game and consistency with their first serves. “Their styles of play matched up well, both are experienced,” Murray said. “When I put those two together and they started clicking, they earned the right to play No. 1.”

Riley played No. 1 doubles with then-No. 1 singles player Caroline Gough last season.

Meghan Canter/Sarah Ranowsky

SCHOOL: Jefferson Forest

YEARS: Senior/sophomore

SEED: No. 1 doubles

ALL-STAR STUFF: Canter, JF’s No. 1 singles player, and Ranowsky, who played No. 2 last year before settling for No. 3 this spring, went undefeated through the Seminole District tournament final before losing to a tandem from Harrisonburg in the Region III quarterfinals. Their styles both contrasted and complemented one another, with Canter extremely consistent and Ranowsky hitting with more power. Both preferred to stay at the baseline in singles, but held their own at the net in doubles, putting points away quickly with angled volleys or solid overheads. For Canter, Ranowsky was her fourth No. 1 doubles partner in three seasons — she also paired up with Hutchison at times this season, including the district team tournament won by the Cavaliers.

Allie Winstead/Lauren Ainsley

SCHOOL: VES

YEARS: Junior/Senior

SEED: No. 3 doubles

ALL-STAR STUFF: Though they didn’t actually play together for the Bishops, Winstead and Ainsley, the No. 3- and 4-seeded singles players, respectively, would have made an excellent pair. Ainsley earned all-Blue Ridge Conference tournament honors and both landed on the All-BRC second team after helping VES to a 10-2 record and runner-up finish in the tournament, losing to defending champion Eastern Mennonite, 5-4.