Girls
Lebanon
Coming off a 15-1 season that included an NHIAA Division III state championship, the Lebanon girls tennis team is back at work to defend its title.
The Raiders return multiple players from last season’s championship team, including seniors Mariana Utell and Payton Breedlove, and sophomore Samyra Graber, all of whom picked up wins in the state title matchup against Gilford last season.
Utell and Graber had singles and doubles wins in the state final, while Breedlove won her doubles match with Nina Ellingson.
“Beyond that, we do not have anyone who has ever played in an official match, so we are sorting out who will round out the top six. We have lots of good athletes, so the potential to learn and improve is definitely there,” said Lebanon Head Coach Rob Johnstone.
Among the players poised to fill the holes left by those who have graduated are junior Shaya Kiridena and sophomore Megan Vallee, who were on the team last season but were not in the lineup. Freshman Cassidy Saxon is also in the mix to have a spot in the top 6.
Additionally, there are some players new to tennis, such as seniors Maezie Angles and Annie Hanna, who have been standouts in other sports at Lebanon High, soccer and hockey for the former and Nordic skiing for the latter.
The Raiders have won two of their three matchups to open this season, falling to Kearsarge 6-3 at home last Monday, defeating Prospect Mountain 7-2 at home on Wednesday, and picking up a 7-2 win over Littleton on the road Friday.
The defending champs will aim to keep the winning going this week, with three matches. The Raiders host Monadnock on Monday at 4 p.m., will welcome Littleton to town on Wednesday at 4 p.m., and travel to Sanborn for a 4 p.m. matchup on Friday.
“It will be a year filled with teaching and more teaching, but the athleticism and attitude up and down the roster is impressive,” Johnstone said.
Hanover
After a run to the NHIAA Division I semifinals last season, falling to Bedford and finishing 12-4, the Bears are back this season with a new cast of characters.
Hanover graduated seven seniors from its team last season and just one player from the top six returns. That being said, the Bears do still return a healthy number of players from last year’s squad.
Returning players for Hanover include seniors Maggie Feng and Mia Bornstein, and sophomores Nysa Sharma, Paz Babineau, Nour Tannous, and Isabella Orsino.
The Bears also have a talented crop of newcomers, including freshmen Sarah Maestripieri and Nyah Clapp, and juniors Harper Lewis and Mai Le, among others.
This new mix of Bears has gotten off to a strong start this season, winning their first two contests, defeating Manchester Memorial, 9-0, on the road on Wednesday, and Dover, 6-3 at home on Friday.
“I’m really happy with how each individual player has grown — even those who are not in the top six right now,” Hanover Head Coach Liz Murray said after Friday’s win. “Everyone is growing in terms of their skills, in terms of their playing — either individually or in doubles, so I see continued growth and depth in the team, which I think is going to be great as we go through the rest of the season.”
The Bears’ season rolls on this week with a road matchup against Pinkerton on Monday at 4 p.m. and a battle against Keene at home on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
“They’ve really gelled as a team in terms of their playability with each other and their match skillset, and they all just really want to get better,” Murray said.
Woodstock
The Wasps return seven athletes from last season, in which they were bounced in the VPA Division II quarterfinals by Burr & Burton and went 7-6-1.
Among those returners are seniors Mia Zilian and Chiara Winawer-Stein, juniors Jess Pierce, Mackenzie Graham, Caroline Adams and Katie Keown, and sophomore Ava Zilian — all of whom Woodstock Head Coach Derek Pierce said should be competitive players.
As for newcomers, Pierce indicated that more than 20 athletes came out for tennis this season, so his squad will have some depth as he works through who exactly will play the matches.
“We’re going to have a better organized JV team than we have in years past,” he said.
Heading into a new season, Woodstock’s head coach said that singles one through five should be strong.
“We’ll have a good showing in the singles, and we just have to now, with some of these newer players, get them up to speed with the first doubles and second doubles,” Pierce said.
The Wasps open their season on Thursday at Bellows Falls at 4:30 p.m.
Boys
Hanover
The Bears had their undefeated season spoiled in the NHIAA Division I state championship last season by Bedford and finished 15-1. They return in 2026 with a young team after graduating multiple seniors.
While this Hanover squad may not have the number of seniors it had last season, it does return juniors Ben Pearson and Ben Hannan and sophomores Quinn O’Regan, Nate Holt, and Izaiah Siegel.
Additionally, Wolfgang Wu, a junior, who spent time in JV and varsity last season, is now on the varsity squad full-time.
Sophomore Liam Glenney, juniors Ansh Mishra and Giorgi Shubitidze are among those who played JV last season to get the call-up, and freshman Sammy Birnstengel joins the squad.
This version of the Bears has started the season doing what most teams in the program’s recent memory have done — win. Hanover won its season opener at home on Wednesday, 9-0, against Manchester Memorial and defeated Dover on the road Friday, 7-2.
Going forward, Head Coach Kelly Finn is optimistic about her squad.
“We have a young team, but they’re very strong,” she said. “I think there’s really good vibes, I think we have really good team camaraderie this year — overall, very positive.”
Hanover hosts Pinkerton on Monday at 4 p.m. and battles Keene on the road on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
Lebanon
Raiders’ Head Coach Jarrod Shaheen said his team is looking to reload and rebuild as it replaces its top six from last season’s campaign, which saw Lebanon fall in the NHIAA Division II quarterfinals to Hollis-Brookline and finish 9-6.
Despite that, Lebanon returns juniors Finn Danaher, Jonah Trussell, and Ryer Wolcott, and sophomores Axel Ericson, Alex Marcoux, and Liam Rich. They also welcome freshmen Chris Driscoll, Ethan Holt, Barrett Nesbitt, and Max Olson to the squad.
“Our goals this year are simple: have fun, honor the game, and improve,” said Shaheen.
The Raiders have dropped their first two games this season, falling to Kennett 5-4 on the road Wednesday and to Hollis-Brookline, 9-0, at home on Friday.
“Stay tuned: If these guys buy in and dig deep, I think you will see a pretty powerful team in the near future,” Shaheen said.
Up next for the Raiders are road dates at ConVal on Monday and at Coe-Brown on Wednesday, both at 4:30 p.m.
Woodstock
The Wasps finished last season 4-7 and fell in the quarterfinals of the VPA playoffs to Burr & Burton, but have a strong team heading into 2026, according to their Head Coach, Michael Malik.
Key returners to the squad include seniors Jacob Legayada and Finn Costello, as well as junior Vasco Malik. The team also welcomes some strong newcomers who had time in JV last season, including freshmen Arlo Clark and Keller Murphy.
“This is my third year coaching, and this is the strongest team we’ve had,” Malik said. “I think we’ve got a competitive team this year — definitely in the singles component of it.”
The Wasps open the season Tuesday at Rutland at 4 p.m.
Hartford
This spring, the Hartford Hurricanes downgraded the boys and girls tennis programs from varsity status to club status because of a lack of participants, according to athletic director Jeff Moreno.
