WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Lebanon High sophomore Megan Vallee exclaimed it was a good day walking off one of the courts at Maxfield Sports Complex after picking up a doubles victory with senior teammate Payton Breedlove.
And indeed it was for the Raiders’ girls tennis team, as they defeated Moultonborough Academy 9-0 on Thursday afternoon.
The defending NHIAA Division III state champions advanced to 6-1 on the season with the victory, which featured singles victories from senior Mari Utell (8-3), sophomore Samyra Graber (8-1), junior Shaya Kiridena (8-3), Breedlove (8-2), Vallee (8-4), and senior Annie Hanna (8-3).
The duos of Utell and Graber (8-1), Breedlove and Vallee (8-1), and senior Maezie Angles and freshman Cassidy Saxon (8-0) picked up the doubles wins.
“It was a clean sweep, and what makes it better is — at least through all the singles — we won them all, but they were all competitive, and even though they were competitive, we still came out pretty heavily ahead,” Lebanon Head Coach Rob Johnstone said.
The Raiders entered the 2026 season with just three players who had high school match experience, but to this point, you would never know it.
After dropping its season opener to Kearsarge 6-3 on April 6, Lebanon has ripped off six straight wins, all by a healthy margin, surpassing Johnstone’s expectations for the early season.
“This start has been beyond what I could have hoped for,” he said. “I thought with the athletes that we have in our player pool, second half of the year, maybe we could be winning more than we’re losing. … It’s 100% accelerated from what I expected.”
Johnstone lauded the progress his players have made with technique and strategy, and credited the work of his assistant coaches, Rick Hines, Mary Teachout and Sandy Bryant.
“Our doubles teams play a bunch of different formations, and their coach said (their) girls had never seen it,” he said. Similar strategies were key in the Raiders’ state final win over Gilford High last season.
The goal Johnstone had for his squad coming into the season was to make the playoffs, he said. Now off to a hot start, Lebanon’s head coach has higher hopes.
“Definitely now, just making the playoffs isn’t the goal. Can we make the playoffs, and can we win a round?” he said. “Then, beyond that, who knows? You’ve got to get there. I think we’ve shown we can do that and certainly have a chance to advance, so it’s great.”
Lebanon will seek its seventh consecutive win when it travels to Prospect Mountain on Friday for a 4 p.m. matchup.
