Franklin County tennis programs continue to make it to the MIAA Div. 4 state tournament.

On the girls side, Greenfield and Mohawk Trail qualified for the postseason last year while the Frontier boys and Turners Falls boys teams also punched a ticket to the dance.

The problem hasn’t been qualifying for states, rather advancing in the tournament.

None of those four teams were able to earn a victory in the tournament and since the new state tournament format went into effect in 2022, Recorder area teams are just 1-12. The lone win was the Mohawk Trail girls over Frontier during a 2022 preliminary round contest.

The team closest to knocking on the door of a tournament win is the Frontier boys.

The Redhawks earned a home match in the Round of 32 last year as the No. 15 seed but were unable to get past Nantucket.

Brian Campbell, who spent last year as the athletic director at Pioneer, returns to coach Frontier this spring. The Redhawks are bringing back a number of starters from last year’s squad that will be looking to take another step in the right direction.

Greenfield brought back its boys program this spring while Turners will be looking to earn another spot in states.

On the girls side, Frontier, Greenfield, Mohawk Trail and Turners are all returning key pieces as they aim to make it to states.

Here’s a closer look at each team:

GIRLS TENNIS

Frontier

COACH: Andrew Varnon

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Tri-County North/4

LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 8-11

ROSTER:: Jimin Ahn, Anneke Bosman, Carrigan Caban Gleason, Brooke Charest, Ohia Dellert, Esther Ehle, Kayla Fagan, Hailey Fernandez, Sofia Hebert, Jasreet Kaur, Eloise Powers, Thanushi Ratnatuge, Aylen Shaw, Ella Sibley, Aimee Talbott, Maya Thomas, Eleanor Wade

OUTLOOK: The Redhawks were a young team last spring, as 14 of their 18 players were middle schoolers. This year, Frontier is still young but has more experience as it looks to make a run at a spot in the state tournament. 

Sibley, a freshman, was a co-captain and served as the Redhawks’ No. 2 last year, took lessons in the offseason and is competing for the No. 1 singles spot. Shaw and Ratnatunge were starters for Frontier last year and both should be in the mix for singles spots as well.

Ehle and Fagan won 80 percent of their matches together in No. 2 doubles last year and should stick together in the top doubles spot this spring.

Through a grant with the United States Tennis Association, the Redhawks received an infinite play training device that allows players to hit into a net off court.

Greenfield

COACH: Alexis Silk

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Tri-County North/4

LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 9-8, D4 prelims

ROSTER: Adele Bross, Natalia Card, Elizabeth Derivolkova, Veralyn Jackson, Karinna Kostov, Stella Longe, Amy Mihailicenco, Maddie Mosher, Inga Petcu, Savannah Portier, Naomi Rahubenco, Tessie Richard, Destiny Rodriguez, Kailyn Sadler, Isabella Semonelli, Raven Ziff

OUTLOOK: Mihailicenco was the top singles player for the Wave last year and returns to that spot this spring.

Semonelli and Kostov are fellow returners who are opening the season in singles spots while Derivolkova, Bross, Rodriguez and Longe are starting in doubles spots for Greenfield.

Mohawk Trail

COACH: Caity Mans

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Tri-County North/4

LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 9-9, D4 prelims

ROSTER: Carolynn Aubrey, Eliza Crowell, Hazel Foucault, Maddan Garcia, Ivan Hillenbrand, Berry Kaydan, Annabelle Koshinski, Ryah PIzzi, Rowan Richardson, Kiera Taylor, Olivia Thompson, Anneke Whitsett

OUTLOOK: Foucault, Aubrey and Whitsett opened the season in the singles positions for the Warriors. Foucault and Aubrey are sliding up in singles position for Mohawk Trail as Palmer King, the top singles player from the Warriors, is now playing for the Greenfield boys team.

Turners Falls

COACH: Vic Gonzalez

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Tri-County North/4

LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 2-16

ROSTER: Makayla Craig, Trinity Davis, Izzy Decker, Keira Feeley, Avery Heathwaite, Khiarieliex Huertas Hernandez, Gianna Marigliano, Shayly Martin, Olivia Wolbach

OUTLOOK: The Thunder have already nearly equaled their win total from a season ago after earning a victory in its opening match of the season against Mohawk Trail.

Wolbach, Heathwaite and Marigliano are returning players who will compete in singles for Turners.

BOYS TENNIS

Frontier

COACH: Brian Campbell

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Tri-County North/4

LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 8-9, D4 Round of 32

ROSTER: Brayden Reipold, Oliver Brown, Matt Sibley, Noah Nichols, Liam Ellis, Anthony Leonardi, Xavier Fripp, Sage Davis, Harrison Manning

OUTLOOK: Reipold, a senior, starts the season at the top of the lineup. Campbell said he has really improved his all-around game after being a doubles specialist the last few years. 

“He has not only worked on his game to be a serviceable singles player but he has the potential to be dominant,” Campbell said.

Oliver Brown is nearing in on the school record for wins on the boys side at Frontier and is making the transition from doubles to singles his senior year, though young players like Nichols, a sophomore, and Manning, an eighth grader, are vying for singles spots as well.

Sibley, a senior, is a four year player who specializes in doubles while Fripp is a sophomore who didn’t play last year but is working to earn a spot in the lineup.

Greenfield

COACH: Rick Miner

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Tri-County North/4

LAST YEAR’S RECORD: N/A

ROSTER: Devonne Brown, Noah Chambers, Landon Clark, Julian Kavanaugh, Palmer King, Noah Lanagdelaine, Wyath Miller, Ben Russell, Colby Sheperd, Sawyer Thurber, Shane Toomey, Thomas Twaddell

OUTLOOK: Miner returns to the Wave after coaching the Greenfield girls tennis team from 1990-1992 and the boys team from 1993-2016.

King is the lone player on the newly-formed team with experience, having competing on the Mohawk Trail girls team the last few seasons.

Toomey starts in the No. 2 singles spot and with so many new players, the remainder of the lineup figures to be shuffled around as the season goes on.

Turners Falls

COACH: Steve Touloumtzis

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Tri-County North/4

LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 1-12, D4 prelims

ROSTER: Lucas Black, Noah Blanchard, Ryker Bray, Max Briere, Nick Damkoehler, Connor Glennon, Noah Kolodziej, Daniel Lapinski, Vaughn LaValley, Nethanel Martin, DAniel Morales, Sebastian Osciak, Mario Pareja, Kahlifa Seck, Phillip Tischleder, William Tyler, Michael Waite, Edward Walsh

OUTLOOK: The Thunder bring back their No. 1, Kolodziej, from last year, with Touloumtzis expecting a big year from the junior.

Black and Tischleder have opened the season in singles spots while Martin, Briere, Walsh and Blanchard are competing in doubles to open the campaign.