The focus of a half dozen seniors on this season’s varsity girls tennis team at Wisconsin Dells High School this season is primarily on team bonding.

The seniors, led by co-captains Erika McCabe and Tetyana Hladun make up the core of a well balanced squad that includes 21 team members. There are five team members at each level along with the six seniors so head coach Larry Martin has the depth and continuity he wanted heading into the season.

Having successfully made their way through the ranks from junior varsity into varsity, McCabe and Hladun know where they came from and they want to eliminate the gap between the two teams.

"We’re trying to make this year a fun year. So, we’re going to do a lot of bonding to get to know a lot of people. Tonight, we’re planning to go to the movies as a team to have fun," said Hladun.

"Every year it’s split, JV and varsity and there’s nothing in between," added McCabe. "We want it to click as a whole team."

However, it’s not all movies and dinner parties. This season’s team has been working hard all summer.

Sure, official practice started on Monday, but Hladun and McCabe are among the players that have been working on tennis since school let out.

"A lot of the teammates were here every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the entire summer," said McCabe, who likely will start the season as half of the number one doubles team along with partner, junior Mykayla McDonald.

So, while the fun attitude is in place, there should be a certain competitiveness in practice to play on the four singles and three doubles varsity spots.

"You try to do as much practice as you can so you stay in your spot," said Hladun adding, "We have some good girls this year, there will be some competition."

Coach Martin said that while the six seniors makes them the biggest group on the team, the team is basically young, in terms of experience.

"Yeah, (the seniors) are trying to lead through camaraderie. Keeping up the morale, encouraging other players and so forth," said Martin. "We do lack on the experience side of things. Yes, we have players who have been part of the program and are veterans per say, but we only have the three letter winners returning. We have six who have some taste of varsity experience When your filling out a 10-player team, that’s, you know, an awful big hole to fill. Imagine volleyball losing 70 percent of its letter winners, or football."

So, the team is not going to go undefeated this season. But, Martin likes what he sees so far.

"We’re encouraged with the early going. Where, were headed. It’s going to be a growing phase all season," said the coach.

There is no more competitive season in terms of recruiting for girls teams as the fall at WDHS, but Martin said while there are more high profile sports like volleyball and cross country that get a large number of girls, tennis has won some back.

Perhaps part of the reason for that is the realization that tennis offers a kind of on the job training and players aren’t learning by watching from the sidelines.

"As I always say, there is no bench in tennis," said Martin. "You’re gonna play. So, that’s kind of our selling point there."

For this season’s team, experience gives McCabe and McDonald the inside track on forming the number 1 doubles teams while senior Abbi Delmore will likely start the year as the Number 1 singles player.

McCabe has played only doubles in the three years she has been with the team and said she prefers that to the singles game.

"I don’t have to just rely on myself. I know my partner will help me through it and I don’t have as much pressure on me," said McCabe adding that she prefers to play back.

"I always play back . I cannot play the net," said McCabe with a chuckle adding that McDonald "is an excellent net player,"

"I have a lot of confidence in my partnership right now. If we win or lose, I know we’re going to have fun. That’s all I look for when I play tennis."

In singles, there is a healthy competition among at least five competitors for the four starting spots early in camp, said Martin.

"Yeah, Abbi is probably

going to start off in that number one singles spot. It’s going to be a little bit tighter. We have a little bit of depth at singles," said the coach.

"Tetyana, Kelsey Christensen, Amanda Moore, Ashley Meisel, they’re all going to be in that singles mix. I think we’ve got five capable singles players. It’s good, we’ve got depth and they’ll push each other."

In doubles, McCabe and McDonald will lead a mostly inexperienced group.

"Doubles, we need a lot of work in because of dealing with the inexperience factor and doubles is a little bit different game. So, that’s something that’s going to be a point of progressing all season long."

Like McCabe and McDonald who have experience, but not yet with each other, there are a couple of other partnerships forming that could take off if the chemistry is right.

"We’ve got a couple of other experienced doubles teams that could be in those spots. We’ll see how it hammers out," said the coach.

"Sam Tonn and Kalie Bires are going to pair up, they could certainly push for it. Corby Toolis and Taylor Bires could also push for it," said Martin adding the latter pair have the advantage of having played together before.

The season begins quick for the Chiefs who make the trip to Mauston for its first Triangular of the season on Thursday, then play host to its own Triangular event two days later.

The first Badger North Conference duel will be at Sauk Prairie Sept. 1.

The Chiefs will host duels against Waunakee, DeForest and Portage while traveling to Sauk, Baraboo and Reedsburg.