The Notre Dame Academy girls’ tennis team has been on a roll this season. They have been in their season for a month now, with the season beginning on August 11.
The varsity team holds a 9-1 record, remaining undefeated in conference play.
Head Coach Paul Miller, along with his wife and co coach, Carrie Miller, are leading the program this year, making it two years coaching the girls’ tennis at NDA.
The two also coach the boys’ tennis team at Notre Dame and have done so for five years.
As an alumnus of NDA, Mr. Miller expressed his pride in how the program has grown.
“It’s a full circle moment,” he said.
The team is divided into three levels. those being Varsity, JV1 and JV2. There are 13 players on varsity, 12 on JV1 and around 20 on JV2.
The program follows a no-cut policy. Everyone gets a chance to be part of a team, no matter the level of experience.
“We meet people where they’re at. It’s about growth and belonging,” Coach Miller explained.
This year’s varsity squad is led by four senior captains: Cece Vandrisse, Lainey Nelson, Madison Siminski and Maddie Wied. Lili Poehlman and Lauren Fortney lead JV1, which in previous years did not have captains.
One of the Varsity captains emphasized the team’s chemistry and close bond regardless of whether it is a large group sport or not.
“We’re a really tight-knit group, always cheering each other on and watching each other’s matches,” Vandrisse said.
For the beginning of their 2025 season, the team did not have a home court to practice on. The courts at NDA were being re-done for the summer and into the start of the tennis season.
Thanks to a strong partnership with West High School, NDA’s athletic director, Matthew Koenig, arranged for the team to utilize West’s tennis courts.
“Big hats off to Matt and our friends at West,” Miller said gratefully.
Junior Vivi Bigari is the number one singles player, and she has embraced this year’s challenges.
“Playing No. 1 singles means the competition has really stepped up, but I’ve had a fulfilling season. We’re always supporting each other, and I’ve improved so much mentally and physically,” Bigari admitted.
With a conference win in sight and a strong chance at qualifying for state both as a team and within the team, the Triton tennis team is determined to finish this next month strong.
“Our goal is to win the conference again,” Miller declared.
