With her girls’ tennis squad coming off a district title last year, Mehlville High School head coach Jill Wojewuczki is optimistic about the 2017 season. Photo by Bill Milligan.

By Robert Chalupny
For the Call

The Mehlville High School varsity girls’ tennis team is ready to have another solid year in 2017 after earning its first district title in quite a few years last season, and is returning several starters from that squad.

Head coach Jill Wojewuczki told the Call that her philosophy and goal for her team this season is to continue to improve all the way around, and she is optimistic about the upcoming year.

“We lost several seniors last year. As with each year, we hope to improve on the previous season,” the Mehlville coach said. “We do have several returning from our varsity squad but there will be a few new additions.

“So we want to continue to strengthen the returning players and help develop the new ones.”

Part of the success the Panthers enjoyed last season can be attributed to the team’s top two athletes, according to the head coach.

“Last year, we enjoyed a district championship as a team. We also had Alyson Piskulic and Andrea Luzaic make it to the individual state tournament,” she said. “Alyson is returning this year, and with her dedication and work ethic, I am confident she will make a return visit to the state tournament. Andrea graduated last year.”

Also returning for Mehlville are junior Melisa Muminovic, senior Hannah Deeke and sophomore Kanita Omerovic. Those players will be in the top six for sure, providing two more athletes the opportunity to step up, according to the coach.

Camaraderie and experience are two strengths of the squad.

“The fact that we do have some returning varsity players will be helpful this season,” Wojewuczki said. “What is most valuable is that the returners are great young ladies who will help the younger players to grow and improve.”

For the Panthers to be successful, they will need to have “the drive to work hard and to want to improve as individual players to help the team be successful,” she said