Behind the Girls Tennis Team’s Historic Playoff Run - Claire Demoff & Mia Attie ‘26

What went into the first playoff appearance, and first playoff victory, in New Roads Girls Tennis history?

The 2024-25 Girls Varsity Tennis Team, via @nrsathletics on Instagram

New Roads Athletics has not seen many deep playoff runs in the 2020s. However, the tennis program has emerged as one of the school's most successful sports, with the Boys Tennis team securing a CIF Division Championship in the spring of 2024, followed by the first-ever playoff appearance and quarterfinals run in Girls Tennis history in the fall of 2024.

While both teams were led by head coach Kramer Waltke and assistant coach Seth Greenberg, the girls' playoff journey had one unexpected distinction. Through a combination of strong senior leadership, teamwork, and grit, they secured the first seed in their division, earned a first-round bye, and advanced to the quarterfinals.

According to Head Coach Kramer Waltke, “The most noticeable difference this past season was our strong sense of camaraderie and leadership, with our upperclassmen taking on more mentorship roles.” He credited team captain Karis Ma (‘25) for encouraging younger players like Willa Prawer (‘27) and Luna Zhou (‘26) to step up in the doubles lineup. Ma, previously the team’s #1 singles player, shifted her role to allow others to play singles, which ultimately boosted the team’s overall confidence.

New Roads Athletic Director Richard Jenkins agreed, saying: “There was a sense of camaraderie on the team that I might not have noticed last year.”

Several team members pictured after a mid-season victory.

However, both the girls and Waltke agreed that the team’s biggest challenge was balancing college applications with schoolwork and athletics. With 75% of the team consisting of upperclassmen, players were often overwhelmed by academic responsibilities, sometimes leaving the team without enough players for a full match lineup.

Despite these struggles, the team remained supportive. “The players encouraged each other on and off the court all season long, which created a culture of perseverance and encouragement,” Waltke said. On one occasion, when a heat wave canceled practice, team members gathered to study together instead.

Several team members posing shortly after their 11-7 playoff win over Hueneme High School. 

After a hard-fought 11-7 playoff victory over Hueneme High School, the team advanced to the quarterfinals against El Monte. The match ended in a 9-9 tie, and even after the standard tiebreaker, the score remained 77-77. A round-robin tiebreaker also resulted in a 9-9 tie, forcing a final sudden-death round, in which New Roads lost 8-10, ending the most successful season in Girls Tennis history.

Although they narrowly missed the semifinals, every team member can take pride in being part of the first New Roads Girls Tennis team to make and win a playoff game.

Reflecting on their journey, Waltke credited “great teamwork, strong work ethic, stepping up when others were unavailable, and our upperclassmen’s ability to guide and inspire the team.” 

“The team carried a spirit about them that they wanted to leave a legacy,” Jenkins added. “[They were] confident, and each match showed up for it, and showed why [they] got the number one seed and advanced to the playoffs.”