Continuity is plus for Cheney girls tennis

The learning curve was a bit rough in 2022 for then first-year Cheney girls’ tennis coach Linnea Love.

With victories that could be counted on one hand, Love, who played in the Greater Spokane League at Lewis and Clark — later in college before returning home — knows the scales tilt towards Spokane.

“It’s been challenging because the teams we play are a lot more competitive,” Love said. That’s mainly a matter of resources such as numbers and facilities. “There’s more indoor court facilities, there’s more coaches.”

The thing Love, and assistant coach Travis Peevey — who also serves as head boys’ basketball coach — work to instill in the newest group will be continuity. Love said the position had somewhat of a revolving door in recent times, but that hopefully ends with her?

“This will be the first year in a while here that we actually have the same coach year-to-year,” Love said. “We’ve already been able to kind of reset for the new year with a little bit more structure.”

Love’s experience playing the game is a plus she thinks. “I have over 10 years of tennis experience myself just as an athlete.”

An uphill climb for sure, the 2023 edition of the Blackhawks has Love enthused and thinking progress will take place.

The team lost the experience of four seniors. Adrianna Wood graduated as the No. 1 singles spot and Jenae Potter from the top doubles spot. Additionally, Love said, Paige Lacey, a junior, will be lost to the singles lineup this season due to injury.

“Jenae (Potter) and Colleen (McKinnon) at No. 1 doubles last year were our most valuable players,” Love said, posting an overall 9-4 record last spring.

Key returners include Valerie Hanes, a senior and sophomore Anabelle Taylor, both return to singles. Senior Colleen McKinnon returns to the double’s varsity lineup.

Cheney has also attracted some notable new faces through transfers and the international exchange program.

Senior Angelica Goold previously played for Mount Spokane and is anticipated to play in the double’s varsity lineup.

And arriving in Cheney with previous tennis experience are senior exchange students Claire Abraham (France) and Martyna Stepniak (Poland), both like to play in the singles.

Freshmen Claire Watkins and Victoria Baycroft are penciled in to play doubles.

All things considered with the new faces, “I’d say overall at the very least I think we’ll be able to be more competitive,” Love said cautiously, adding, however, “We’ll have to see how that plays out in the season.”

Paul Delaney is a retired Free Press Publishing reporter and can be reached at [email protected].