The Ankeny Centennial girls’ tennis team will open its second season of fall competition on Friday by hosting the Jaguar Kickoff at the Prairie Ridge courts.
“It still feels a little strange to be playing tennis in the fall, but it definitely feels more natural than it did last season!” said Centennial coach Alli Gustafson. “We have had a lot of girls out on the courts this summer, so it has been great to pick up right where we left off and continue building on the growth and progress they made over the offseason. It is especially nice to have that preparation under our belts with a meet coming up so quickly on Friday. The girls seem calmer, more confident, and more prepared than they did when we were coming off a winter offseason.”
Centennial posted a 7-8 record in its first fall season. The Jaguars went 2-6 in the CIML Conference.
About 50 girls are on the team’s roster.
“The practices are going well this week!” Gustafson said. “It has been great to get all of the girls back out on the courts and hitting. This first week, we have also started building our team culture, continuing the foundation we established last season. It has been exciting to get back on the courts and pick up where we left off last season.”
Seniors Talia Baca and Avery Bohnenkamp are among the team’s returnees. Juniors Laura Schulz and Ella Sutherland are the other returning varsity regulars.
Baca went 6-5 in singles as a junior, including a 3-0 mark at the No. 1 spot. She was a state singles qualifier as a freshman in the spring of 2024.
Sutherland posted a 7-8 record in singles, including a 4-3 mark at the No. 4 position. She teamed up with Kalyani Bhat, who graduated last spring, for a fourth-place finish in doubles in a Class 2A regional tournament at Cedar Falls.
Bohnenkamp and Schulz primarily played doubles a year ago, but will likely see action in singles as well in 2026.
“We are excited to have these girls back and compete regularly in singles this year,” Gustafson said. “We are also looking forward to seeing the rest of our varsity lineup step up, fill important roles, and gain valuable varsity experience and match play throughout the season.”
The Jaguars will face Dubuque Hempstead and Iowa City West in a pair of meets on Friday. Valley will also play the Mustangs and Trojans.
“We are jumping right into the season!” Gustafson said. “More than anything, I hope to see the girls compete with confidence and stay calm and composed on the courts. We have spent the summer and our first few days of practice working on fundamentals, strategy, and continuing to learn how to recognize and take advantage of our opponents’ strengths and weaknesses during play. I would love to see the girls put those skills into action during our first competition.”
Centennial will play three other opponents in the next week. The Jaguars will host North Polk on Monday before starting conference play on Tuesday with a trip to Waukee, then will host CIML rival Johnston on Aug. 13.
“Our goal is to take something away from every match we play, so I am looking forward to hearing from the girls after (Friday’s meet) about what they learned and how they think they can continue to improve,” Gustafson said. “It will be great to shake off those first-meet nerves and officially get the season started, especially with so many new players in our varsity lineup. We are looking forward to a great season ahead!”