Experienced roster bolsters expectations as QND girls tennis team returns five of top six players

QUINCY — After more than two decades, Mindee Miller is back in coaching.

Miller guided the girls tennis team at Quincy Notre Dame, where she played during her final two seasons of high school, after finishing her career at Quincy University. She returns this fall as the Raiders’ coach, the program’s third in as many seasons.

“I love the girls and the coaching, although the paperwork is not as much fun,” she said. “I enjoyed coaching after I got out of college, but with my job and everything, I stopped.”

Miller inherits a senior-laden roster that returns five of its top six players from a team that finished 4-6 in dual matches and sent a doubles team to the Class 1A state tournament a year ago.

QND’s lone graduation loss was No. 1 singles player Aly Young.

“With our depth and experience, I’m expecting a fairly successful season,” Miller said. “Our senior leadership has been outstanding. I can’t wait to see it play out.”

Alyssa Ley, who played No. 2 singles last season, will assume the top spot. Morgan Zanger, Kaitlyn Brown, Lydia Miller and Paige Bliven will each move up one rung on the singles ladder.

All are seniors, except Miller, the coach’s daughter, who is a sophomore.

“I think they’re solid,” the coach said. “(Ley) is strong mentally, has really good ground strokes and it’s hard to get the ball past her. (Zanger) has a great spin serve and is very competitive. (Brown) is sneaky fast and going to get every ball back.”

Lydia Miller and Bliven are left-handers who also teamed up in doubles last year.

“(Lydia) needed more match play under her belt, and she got that last season,” the coach said. “She worked hard in the offseason and has gained more confidence. (Bliven) has also improved.”

Several players are battling for the final spot in the singles rotation.

The coach said junior Anna Robb “worked very hard over the summer.” Senior twins Kennady and Khloe Schreacke were just outside the varsity last fall, although Khloe did appear in a couple of tournaments when the team took eight players.

Also in the mix are junior Audrey Linenfelser and senior Natalie Farah.

“It’s going to be very hard (to choose),” the coach said. “We’ve had some really close challenge matches. It’s awesome to have this much depth, but I also want them all to play.”

QND opens its season Aug. 24 in the Alton doubles tournament and will enter four teams.

Zanger and Brown, who took third in the Class 1A Alton Marquette Sectional to earn a state tournament berth last October, will remain together. Ley and Lydia Miller will form another doubles tandem, with Bliven and Robb and the Schreacke twins rounding out the opening lineup.

The Raiders will play in the Springfield Invitational Aug. 30-31 before returning to Reservoir Park for two of its five home matches — against Macomb and Palmyra, Mo. They also will face Alton Marquette once and Quincy High twice at home.

“Tennis is such a mental game that mental toughness is going to be the biggest key to our season,” the coach said. “We play some great competition. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

“My goal is to get them through the sectional and to state. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”