With a solid group of seniors returning for the 2021 season, the Lindbergh girls tennis team is poised to have another outstanding season.

“We’ve got 40 girls on the team, so we have a huge group this season,” said Lindbergh head coach Laura Conti. “We’ve got some freshmen and other underclassmen who’ve put in some work over the summer to put themselves in place to get on the varsity squad. I was thinking that this would be a rebuilding year, but I’m really excited to see how our freshmen will perform.”

Senior Katya Gamblin returns as the Flyers starting singles lineup after competing at No. 2 singles last season.

“Katya has beautiful ground strokes,” Conti said. “Over the course of the past year she’s gained lots of strength and confidence and I’m excited about what she can do this year.”

Another senior that’s improved their game over the course of the last year is Angela McPike who competed at No 4 singles and No. 3 doubles in 2020.

“Angela is a great athlete with an undying endurance,” Conti said. “She’s a great doubles partner who never wants to lose a point on the court.”

Senior Charlotte Zink played at No. 5 singles and No. 3 doubles last season and the Flyers head coach has high expectations of Zink this year.

“Charlotte’s strength is the power of her strokes,” Conti said. “She’s tall and when she strikes the ball, it’s extremely powerful. She’s just relentless on the court.”

Two more seniors that Conti is hoping to make a significant impact on this year’s team are Katie Ninneman and Grace Thompson.

“They (Ninneman and Thompson) bring the experience of playing on varsity last year at singles and doubles,” Conti said. “They know what to do with the ball on the court at the right place and the right time.”

The Flyers open up the 2021 season at Ladue on Aug. 30.