The Chaska girl’s tennis team wrapped up the month of September with four matches before sectionals.
The Hawks took on Orono, Holy Family, Prior Lake and New Prague. The Orono, Holy Family and Prior Lake programs are all respected programs with deep rosters, and Chaska did not fare well, losing 6-1, 6-0, and 6-0, respectively.
Despite these results, Coach Bill Rennie pointed out how each player on the team gave their best and battled some talented competitors.
“Everyone did the team proud, and we learned a great deal. While the score was not such, we honed our skills. That’s a win,” Rennie shared.
On Oct. 1, the Hawks took on New Prague in their last regular-season match, which was also Senior Night. As the match started, Coaches Rennie and Erickson congratulated the seniors on their careers, efforts and accomplishments.
“I am proud of how you’ve gotten here, and keep going,” Rennie said.
Tennis follows a time-honored scoring system, and each game concludes with a victor. But the effort put forth by both sides may not be as evident as in other sports.
New Prague took the match 5-2, with many games being battled to the last serve or volley. Freshman Emily Schladweiler at singles (6-2, 6-1) and the doubles team of juniors Piper Kaufhold and Therea Deschneau won their marathon match in three tie-breaking sets. Schladweiler would lead the team in wins with an 11-5 record for the season.
Tessa Fuhr (#3 Singles), Naomi Monaghan (#4 Singles), Jenna Campbell and Shraavya Davuluri (#1 Doubles), and Kallie Wilson (#4 Doubles) were the seniors playing in their last match for the Hawks.
Campbell, who was also celebrating her birthday, summarized the season.
“We improved all year. Our record was better this year. Beating BSM was a highlight; that shows what we can do. Our freshmen were impressive, and they will have great careers. I can’t believe it went by so fast,” she said.
Wilson added, “It was so much fun, and these are some great teammates and tennis players. It doesn’t feel like it should be over.”
As the match wrapped up, Coach Rennie put things into perspective.
“We finished strong, and while the match score may look different, each game and set had us battling,” Rennie said. “The team’s attitude grew, and we pulled together. They faced some tough competition and taught themselves throughout the season. We made progress as a team.”
On Oct. 6, Chaska traveled to Prior Lake for the first tier of sections. The Lakers won the match 7-0, and team play for Chaska concluded for 2026. The team was 6-10 for the season and 2-2 in the conference. This was an improvement over the 2025 season, and despite the graduation of some talented players, the number of underclassmen who developed this year will make the 2027 Hawks a formidable squad.
