Coming off a 2023 season in which the Riverton girls tennis team placed 14th out of 18 teams at the Class 6A state tournament, The Silverwolves are eager to show improvement on the court. 

They’ll have to do it with a mostly new cast of varsity players. 

Riverton brings back just one starter from last season, making this an inexperienced team. On a positive note, however, Riverton does have three seniors leading the team. The trio—Mayci Call, Nicole Gowen and Addelyn Holt—will be critical in determining how successful the Silverwolves are in achieving their goals. Heading into the season, head coach Ronald Ence was pleased with their attitudes and commitment. 

“They have earned varsity positions through their hard work during the off season,” Ence said. “As coaches, we love their example of always giving total effort. They treat the underclass players right and help create a team atmosphere.” 

Last year’s senior-laden team had its ups and downs. Now, with lots of new faces on the varsity squad, Ence has high hopes that Silverwolves will eclipse what the team did last season in the win column and at the state tournament. He and his assistants are aiming to not only qualify all varsity players for the Class 6A state tournament but to see them advance. 

“Our goal is to get all seven varsity players to advance to at least the second round of 6A state tennis tournament held at Liberty Park,” he said. “For the remaining JV players, their goal is to get better every practice or match whether they win or lose.” 

As the 2024 campaign got underway a few weeks before school began, Ence was eager to see how the players have developed. He also expects the girls to have fun on the court at practices and matches as they compete against talented competitors. 

“The coaching staff expectation is to see each and every player improve their tennis skills and that each player will enjoy being a part of the high school team and competing against other schools,” he said. 

Ence knows the Silverwolves will face their share of challenges. He acknowledges the players have a lot to learn and must continue to improve. Still, he’s quick to point out that a big strength that Riverton players have is their desire to learn. 

“One strength of our team is that players are coachable,” he said. “Tennis uses unique skills, and they are always learning ways to improve and be better.”

Unlike other fall sports whose seasons can last three months, girls tennis has an abbreviated schedule. The season is only two months long, which constricts practice times and provides few breaks. This can be difficult, especially for Riverton as it breaks in new players. Ence said the quick season requires that players work hard in the summer as they prepare to take the court in August and September. 

Another challenge Riverton will face is overcoming some of the mental difficulties that young, inexperienced teams often encounter. With only Holt returning from the 2023 varsity team, Ence said his players need to be focused and play with confidence and courage. He believes if the Silverwolves do this, they can have a successful season. 

“The players will need to get the nervousness out of their minds and learn to be competitive in each game and match,” he said. “So far, the attitude and effort have shown they can do good things.” λ