(Hamilton's girls tennis team is winning despite its youth. Photo courtesy of Hamilton High.)

Mesa High Boys Volleyball Tournament

The tournament starts at 9 a.m. Friday at Skyline High School, with the championship match scheduled for about 5 p.m.

The cost is $5 per person, $3 for students with ID. The teams participating are Mesa, Red Mountain, Skyline, Dobson and Westwood.

Hamilton/Chandler Tennis Invitational

The tournaments kick off at 8 a.m. on Friday.

Hamilton is hosting the tournament for girls, and the boys’ tourney is at Chandler. Below are some notes on some of the tennis teams that are participating:

Girls

Perry: The team is improving this season after playing without any seniors last year. Perry is still young this year, but No. 2 Taylor Shin and No. 6 Cassie Diones, the only seniors on the squad, are stepping up. "I believe we are a team on the rise, and I'm proud of our girls for going out and competing against some of the top schools in the state and doing so with a sense of decorum and class," coach Keith Castillo said. 

Chandler: "We are having a good year considering we have a lot of freshmen and sophomores on the team this year," coach Abe Olivas said. "We are in learning mode, as we don't have a lot of experience, but the future looks very bright." Olivas raved about the play of his seniors, including No. 1 Julia Ortiz and No. 2 Adrienne Austill, who are also helping mentor the younger players, showing them what it takes to be a top-tier player. 

Basha: The current success the program is enjoying can be traced to when Jewel Brundrett, Katie Lesueur, Rahgan Jensen and Briley Rucker first stepped on campus in 2011. As freshmen, the quartet led their program to an 8-6 record, which was followed by 11-3 and 13-1 campaigns. The program won its first section title and first team playoff match last year. Newcomers Keely Gaona, a transfer from Globe, and Elly Klages, the team’s top freshman, have solidified the squad this year with their performances. Basha is 10-1, dropping its only match to Mesa Mountain View. Lesueur is 10-1 in singles and doubles this year.  

Hamilton: Seventh ranked Hamilton (7-2) dropped its two contests to Basha and Xavier. The team is in contention for a playoff spot despite graduating four of its top six players last year. Nine of this year’s top-12 players are either freshmen or sophomores, including twins Emily and Elizabeth Smith. The team’s only returning senior is No. 5 Ara Seamons. Junior Ashley Saunders and Anamika Deokar are the only returning varsity players. Deokar was the team’s No. 2 last season and placed third at state along with her doubles partner last year. “There may be some bumps and learning curves this season due to our youth, but the potential, upside and future are very bright for this group if they continue to work hard and stay together,” coach Jeremy Sweet said.  

Yuma: The team has high expectations despite early season losses to Gila Ridge and Cibola. Yesenia Orozco is the team’s No. 3, but she’s the team’s leader. “But all of the girls have worked really hard this year, and the results speak for themselves,” coach Michael Moreno said.

Boys

Apache Junction: The team is struggling but still fighting, according to its coach. Thomas Cranmer's solid play at No. 1 has been a bright spot as well as the performance of Brandon Zagar. "Overall, we have a growing team and the ability to do well when we focus on limiting errors and being consistent," coach Brian Lockwood said. 

Chandler: Senior captain Nicholas Ambus is 7-2, with his losses coming to the No. 1’s of Red Mountain and Mesquite. With five freshmen and only two seniors, the program is young, but the players “work hard every day in practice and are becoming stronger and more confident with each match they play.”

Highland: The team was 7-3 without any seniors. But the addition of the team’s No. 1, out of state transfer Mason Hicks, added depth to the team. Kevin Lunt and Jeremy Quackenbush are also providing leadership and “encouragement” to the inexperienced team. “The team is young and works hard to improve,” coach Jimbob Worthington said. “They are already setting goals for next year.”

Perry: The team was ranked No. 16 with a 6-4 record and its losses coming to top-10 teams. The team’s depth has helped it overcome the loss of its No. 1 for the past five weeks. No. 2 Samuel Lin (6-3 record), No. 3 Taylor Townsend (8-2), who is 6-4 with No. 3 doubles partner Brenna Sciascia, have stepped up. Perry has a chance to reach the postseason as a team for the first time in the program’s history. 

Yuma: The team's No. 1, Rajinder Singh Kaila, has lost only one match this season. No. 2 Borja Rubio and No. 3 Juan Morales have stepped up their games since the halfway point of the season and are coming off big wins against section rival Lake Havasu.