The senior captains for SCH tennis this season are (from left) Emma Godshall, Catherine Cooney and Hannah Larkin. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

There will definitely be a new look to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy's tennis team this fall, with seven players having graduated from the 2016 roster and with an underclassman who played varsity singles last year switching to a different fall sport.

There's still a good deal of interest in tennis at SCH, and with another strong turnout it only remains to be seen which athletes wind up in which positions, particularly in the doubles flights.

During the preseason sessions the singles spots have been sorted out, as the Blue Devils start out with Catherine Cooney, Hannah Larkin, and Emma Godshall at one, two, and three, respectively. The three players are all seniors, and are serving as team captains this fall. Unfortunately, fellow 12th-grader Cayla McElwee is out for the season due to an injury.

As the team goes through the process of figuring out the doubles combos, one pairing that is working out well already features junior Leslie King and sophomore Kellie Graves. Graves' older sister, Melanie, was a senior and a captain on the 2016 SCH varsity.

At this stage, there aren't any other juniors joining King as solid candidates for the varsity, but there are a number of sophomores to keep Graves company; Jai Rae Connor, Betty Li, Dominique Regli, and Emma Schwenderman.

Julia Barrist, Emma Schotsch, and Skai Williams are all freshmen who are moving up from the SCH middle school.

Seventh-year head coach Ashley Vandegrift, a 1992 graduate of the old Springside School, is pleased with the turnout and the positive chemistry she senses in the group. A former Chestnut Hill Academy player, Steve Dandridge, is guiding the junior varsity squad. He is also an instructor at the Legacy Youth Tennis & Education Center in East Falls.