Sep. 20—ROCHESTER — Ryann Witter goes down as not only among the best girls tennis players ever at Lourdes, but as possibly its best-ever leader.
A year ago, Witter helped guide the Eagles to their first state team championship since 2010. Lourdes’ No. 1 singles player, who finished second in singles in the state individual tournament, did her leading in the most positive, energetic and caring of ways.
She was a symbol for everything that coach Ben Maes looks for in a player. A year ago, that made all the difference.
“Ryann’s energy was so good,” Lourdes senior Caroline Daly said. “She was a great leader. She’d be on the court during her match and yelling all the way across the courts for a teammate, always cheering. And she was super smart, too. She taught us how to act on the court and what to do in certain situations.”
Witter was also the one who talked teammate Ellie Leise into believing in herself, doing it at the most crucial of times. It happened in the state final against favored team Breck, Witter having been moved from her usual No. 1 singles spot to No. 1 doubles in the team championship. Leise struggled mightily in the first set. But after listening to the calm, cool, wise, encouraging and locked-in Witter, she got things together the rest of the match. When it was done, Witter and Leise had delivered a dramatic comeback win there, lofting Lourdes to a 4-3 dual victory and a team state championship.
One year later, Witter is no longer an Eagle. She graduated last spring, leaving a massive void to be filled this fall on the Lourdes tennis team.
Well, consider it filled. It’s being done by not one, but two players — Lourdes’ two best and seniors, both. They are Elyse Palen and Caroline Daly, who all season have taken turns playing No. 1 singles. What hasn’t come and gone for those two is their leadership. They’ve done whatever they can to provide it and are being credited for keeping the Lourdes team on top.
The Eagles are ranked No. 1 in Class A.
Daly and Palen credit the departed Witter for having shown them the way.
“Elyse and I learned from her,” said Daly, who like Palen is in her sixth year on the Lourdes varsity. “We have taken some of her with us. In that way, it is like Ryann is still with us.”
Palen has her fingers crossed that she and Daly are coming close to Witter’s standard.
“Caroline and I do our best to do a good job leading the team and being a good example,” Palen said. “We’re trying to make sure all of the girls are enjoying the season and also getting better. We hope to be up to Ryann’s standards. We are trying to show people how to work hard and to do the right things, on and off the court. That is a big thing at Lourdes. We’re representing Lourdes and ourselves. We want to be positive and kind to others. We’re always trying to be the best person we can be.”
A year ago, the standard set wasn’t just to treat each other and their foes well, but to finish as state champions.
Lourdes is actually favored to do that again, at least on paper. Like fellow Rochester team Mayo, the Eagles are ranked No. 1 in the state, Lourdes in Class A, Mayo in AA.
Lourdes coach Maes doesn’t completely buy into that, though he knows his team has a solid shot at repeating. He sees the Class A state race as wide open for whoever gets to the Oct. 24-25 event at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in Minneapolis.
What he doesn’t want is his team to feel any added pressure based on these polls.
“I think all eyes will be on us,” Maes said. “But I don’t want our players to feel that pressure. Whatever happened last year doesn’t mean anything. I don’t think that our kids feel like they are the favorites. There are a bunch of teams this year that have a legit chance of winning it.”
Among them is certainly Lourdes, which despite losing Ryann Witter to graduation might be even better now. That’s because its doubles teams, according to Maes, are considerably better.
Not to be forgotten is winning a match at No. 3 doubles counts as much as winning one at No. 1 singles.
This year, Lourdes is doing a lot more winning in doubles, with No. 2 doubles team Taylor Seelhammer and Leise likely having made the biggest jump.
“Those two have been super solid,” Maes said. “They’ve won pretty close to all of their matches.”
One thing is certain. It’s that Lourdes’ taste for state titles hasn’t waned one bit.
They want another one, in the worst way.
“We are really, really hungry,” Palen said. “We’re competitors and everyone on this team works as hard as they can.”
