MITCHELL — On the first day of practice this fall, a group of Mitchell High School girls tennis alumnae presented the current team members with a card containing words of encouragement.
The familial bond has brought forward a culture of working together towards a higher goal.
That goal is to improve upon a fifth-place result at last year’s Class AA state tournament, following a season where the Kernels went 16-2 in dual competition en route to the Eastern South Dakota Conference team championship. Additionally, Mitchell won six bracket titles at the ESD meet, while having three players compete in championship matches at state.
While the latest chapter in a long line of successful Kernel teams produces a high expectation from the opening serve of the season, girls tennis head coach Pat Moller believes they’re ready.
“They put a lot of pressure on themselves to make sure that they’re ready for the season,” Moller said. “We’ve really been working on building a cohesive unit that meshes together … If we can be that kind of team highlighting the positives in each other, that’s going to go a long way towards us being successful.”
Owing to the familiarity each of the six returning Kernel tennis letterwinners have with each other, the team’s practice structure was altered slightly than in years past, emphasizing technical and mental development of the sport right away before the players compete against each other in challenge matches.
As a result of the minor change, everyone on the Kernels felt a switch of mentality at practice, one built on positivity. It carries through each interaction, regardless if the players know each other well or are starting to get acquainted with new teammates on the varsity level or future teammates in the lower levels.
Blake Durham / Mitchell Republic
“We’re really just trying to aim for a good team relationship as a whole,” senior Megan Mastel said. “We’ve spent time building deeper connections, going out with people that we’re not as close with and as a group. … This entire week (of practice) has been all about uplifting ourselves and helping each other.”
Part of the process involves each player learning how to feed off the others’ energy in doubles competition, as Mitchell fields another deep varsity lineup this season. Mastel, a three-time state singles champion at various flights, will anchor the top flights in both singles and doubles, partnering with Matteah Graves at No. 1 doubles.
Graves moves up three positions into Flight 2 singles and Mia Larson moves into Flight 4. Katie Morgan stays at Flight 3 while she and Larson move into the No. 2 doubles slot. Moving into full-time roles after appearing as alternates last season, Elliot Smith (Flight 5) and Ava Prunty (Flight 6) have showcased the determination Moller was looking for to fill in the open spots on the roster in the lower flights and at No. 3 doubles.
“They’re eager and ready for varsity spots,” Moller said. “(Ava and Elliot) are right at the top of the list as far as who’s put in time this summer to get themselves ready for this. I’m not too concerned about the bottom of our lineup because those two are going to be able to step in admirably.”
Nathan Swaffar / Mitchell Republic
Much of the early-season dates on the calendar will come down to how confident each player on Mitchell is at the start of matches. They’ll also look to establish a rhythm with strong opening serves, but otherwise not try to complicate each matchup or point in the match.
“The biggest thing is staying relaxed and trusting ourselves,” Mastel said. “Don’t try to micromanage things. Just go through the big motions and have that desire to do it and wanting to win instead of wanting to get off the court.”
Mitchell opens the season on the road with a triangular against St. Thomas More and Aberdeen Roncalli at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The Kernels are also slated to compete in the two-day Sioux Falls Christian jamboree tournament, beginning on Thursday, Aug. 14, at Tomar Park.
Blake Durham is a Sports Reporter for the Mitchell Republic, having joined in October of 2023. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in December of 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Communications. Durham can be found covering a variety of prep and collegiate sports in the area.
