Undefeated Women’s Tennis Team Aims for States

The seniors on the WHS Women’s Tennis Team posing with their rackets. (From left to right) Fiona Russell, Abbi Clark, Larson Berry and Kennedy Moore. “[This season,] we’ve had lots of practices then things outside of practice: matches, match play, team bonding.” said Sadie Rose Long, 10. The Women’s Tennis Team will compete against Charlotte Catholic next Tuesday, October 28 at 4pm. Photo Credits: Kennedy Moore

Rebecca Billette, Editor-in-Chief of The Powderhorn

To an outside observer, it may appear that the Watauga High School Women’s Tennis Team has been on an effortless streak of win after win. On October 4, 2025, the team, after an undefeated season, claimed the title of Conference Champions for the Northwestern 6A/7A conference. In recent days, they have progressed through multiple rounds of playoffs and are on track to compete at States. All of these achievements are not without difficulty, though. The team has practiced diligently all season to advance as far as they have.

“This season we’ve all put in a lot of effort during practice and really pushed ourselves to keep getting better,” said Addison Cohen, a junior on the team. “I also think what’s helped us succeed on the court is how well we all get along and support each other. Our teamwork and positive energy have made a huge difference this year and helped us win the conference.” 

From the beginning of the season, the team had ambitious goals but were not naive to the work they would have to put in to achieve them. On October 22, the team competed against Northern Guilford and won the 4th playoff round. The girls must win 5 rounds of playoffs to compete at States as a team.

“I think our goal was to be conference champions and to be state champions, so we've kind of had that attitude of putting forth a lot of work, a lot of effort, and just having positive attitudes all around so that we can do that,” said Sadie Rose Long, a sophomore player.

It has taken many days of long practices and a strong willingness to improve from each player to progress this season. The girls on the tennis team have been dedicated, enthusiastic, and unrelenting in their efforts.

“This season in practices, we have focused on consistency and mental toughness,” said Kennedy Moore, a senior player. “In practice, we play a lot of matches to simulate a real match to prepare us for the real matches. We also focus on a lot of communication, especially in doubles, which has helped us build strong doubles teams and helps us support one another during tough individual matches.” 

The girls’ commitment to communication and strong doubles teams has shone through. Senior Larson Berry and sophomore Abby Talton have recently qualified as a doubles partnership and will compete in the Individuals State competition on October 24, 2025, in Holly Springs.

“This season, one of the biggest challenges for us as a team has been staying focused and working hard so we can stay undefeated in conference,” Cohen said. “Personally, playing number one singles has been especially tough because I’ve had to face the toughest opponents every match. This year I really have had to learn how to stay calm under pressure and keep my energy up during long and hard matches. However, this has helped me grow a lot as a player and has helped me become even stronger.” 

The tennis team’s impressive achievement of remaining undefeated in their conference over the course of 16 matches, many of which ended 9 - 0 in their favor, was no easy task. The girls had to have a strong team bond and unwavering support for their teammates, and many of the players credited the team’s sense of community with their success.

“[The team attitude] is very positive and uplifting, and we have a lot of fun at practices, just talking to each other. I think doubles is one of our favorites because everyone just enjoys playing together and it's just really fun,” said Long.

This year, the tennis team has 4 seniors: Larson Berry, Abbi Clark, Kennedy Moore and Fiona Russell. Having a strong group of leaders for the other players to look up to has also contributed to the team’s success this year.

“I am going to miss the seniors so much next year and I really appreciate their leadership and for being great role models over the past few years,” Cohen said.

Playing the final year of a sport you have participated in all throughout high school is a difficult mix of sadness and pride.

“It’s definitely bittersweet,” Moore said. “Tennis has been such a big part of my high school experience and it’s crazy to think that it’s almost over. I’m proud of how much I’ve grown on and off the court. I’m trying to enjoy the rest of the matches and practices we have left, because I know I’ll miss competing when it’s all over.” 

Fortunately for the seniors, their final season is shaping out to be a successful one. As the WHS Women’s Tennis Team continues to advance through playoffs, they will rely on their team spirit, hard work and dedication, and work towards their goal of earning a spot in the state competition. The girls will compete against Charlotte Catholic next Tuesday, October 28 at 4 p.m. for their Final Four match.

“As a team, we want to make a strong run in the team playoffs.” said Moore. “We want to end the season trying our best and being proud of ourselves.”