On September 16, 2025 the girls tennis team became the 2025-2026 NE8 Girls Tennis Champions. The team has been very successful in the past and had a seven year hold on the conference title at one point. Led by Head Coach Jimmy Leslie the team has forged a 10-3 overall record and a 7-0 record in the conference. The team is led by Sofia Elia, Brooklyn Bilkie, Taylor Reesh, and Sydney Bulick.
Junior Gabriella Morrison said she “…had faith that [they] could pull off winning the NE8 for the first time in a few years” consequent to their consistency and culture.
The Lady Dogs have only lost a few matches, and in each loss, the other team has had a small margin of victory. One of their most impressive wins came against the 10-6 Struthers Wildcats when they stomped them 5-0. This success has largely proved the program’s ability to develop athletes, for the team lost some of their best singles players when they graduated last year, but came back even better this year.
Senior Brooklyn Bilkie stated that “going into the season I think everyone had some uncertainty especially after we lost our number one singles from last year, but once practices started and our team began to gel all those worries went away.”
Morrison also stated that “the girls who joined the team this year were a great addition and were a part of the reason why we represent our school so well” which hints at the team’s ability to grow players.
Bilkie went on to state that “[Coach Leslie] not only cares about us as players, but also as individuals and genuinely wants us to win..”.
Overall, the team has a strong bond that starts with their coaches desire to win, and ability to connect with the players. Their NE8 title demonstrates this well.
Morrison summarized this perfectly when she said, “Our NE8 win and overall record I feel represents the team and our school proudly.”
The Lady Dogs will now be competing in sectionals the week of 9/29 and have a great shot at making it to the district tournament! Good luck girls!
