Wooster High netters maintain their winning tradition

It’s an old sports cliche that tradition never graduates.

For the Wooster High girls tennis team, that phrase remains true.

Sure, the Generals have one of the top players in the state in junior Ava Mathur and a handful of other talented veterans, but they have found a way to keep their run of success going this fall with a roster loaded with newcomers eager to start making their mark on the program.

That mix of returnees and newcomers didn’t seem to slow down a Generals’ squad that captured its fourth consecutive Ohio Cardinal Conference championship at the end of September and finished 14-4 on the season.

“We have an incredibly close group of girls who are very supportive of each other,” Wooster first-year coach Cordell Smith said. “At the same time, we have a very young team with four freshmen playing varsity this year, so they have had to lean on the upperclass players like Ava, Alexia (Kakanuru) and Megan (Wyneski) for encouragement and support throughout the year.”

And it was the play of its balanced lineup, which included singles players Mathur, Kakanuru and freshman Hailey Jung sweeping their way to individual league titles, that helped the group keep the championship streak alive.

“Winning the league was our goal from the start of the year, and all of the girls stepped up at the league tournament in a huge way,” Smith said. “We all had to work together in order for our team to win, which is how we have found success all season.”

Leading that charge is the ultra-talented Mathur.

Fresh off of her Division I state appearance as a sophomore, Mathur picked up right where she left off by posting a 26-2 mark through the sectional tournament — which she capped off with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Medina Highland’s Ally Haynes.

The win gave Mathur a third straight sectional championship, where she lost just one game over the three-day event. It’s a run of success she is hoping to continue with a return trip to the OHSAA State Championships, and it would be a short trip for her — the state tourney will be played this year right down the road at The College of Wooster.

But even more important, according to Smith, is how Mathur sets the tone for the rest of the team.

“Ava is an incredible player and leader on our team,” he said. “She is always the first one out on the court to practice and last one off. Her work ethic and fierce competitiveness is the key to her success.

“Ava has been training and playing tennis for many years, so what you see on the court is the result of hours and hours of work and practice. Combine that with her drive to be the best she can be and her athleticism (and) you get a very special player.”

Fellow singles players Kakanuru and Jung also have posted impressive seasons, finishing with 22 and 21 victories, respectively.

The doubles teams also posted strong finishes in conference play as the team of junior Wyneski and freshman Alyssa-Rae McIntosh placed third overall at the OCC Tournament, along with the freshman tandem of Elizabeth Frantz and Nadia Cascarelli.

And with a roster that will only lose Kakanuru, the future looks bright.

This year’s team jelled together to post not only another winning campaign, but also battle a rugged slate of matches that included the likes of North Canton Hoover, St. Joseph Academy and Brecksville.

“We had a very competitive schedule this year and have played some very good programs, so to finish 14-4 has been a great accomplishment for our program,” Smith said. “We have a lot of experience and talent on our team and will only continue to get better as we grow and develop each year.”