After the cancellation of the 2019-2020 spring sports season, this season’s girls varsity tennis team is coming for what it missed out on. 

Despite the devastating loss of last year’s opportunity to reach the state tournament due to COVID-19, the team heading into the season is full of promise. The departure of Mandy Ehrlich, Andrea Wang, Courtney Fox, Jenny Baer, and Isabella Notarnicola due to graduation are particularly tough wounds; however, the returning talent for FHC cannot be understated.

“We graduated five very talented seniors last year. We have a lot of holes to fill, but we have some new varsity players that are ready. We have freshmen that are able to play on the varsity team now, and we have girls that have stayed in the program and developed into varsity-level players,” coach Jeremy Moog explicated. “Everyone is dealing with the same issues, but it just makes things a little bit harder. We just need to find the right lineup and help the new girls get comfortable playing at this level.” Even with the absence of notable players from last season, the ability of this Ranger squad is nothing short of incredible.

Right aside coach Moog on the sidelines is head coach Dan Bolhouse. Bolhouse, a staple of the Ranger Tennis community, has dedicated his coaching talents to this FHC program for nearly a decade. As seen by the continuous improvement of both the boys and girls tennis teams, Bolhouse’s contributions are notably significant.

“I started coaching tennis at FHC in 2012. I coached the JV boys for two seasons and the JV girls for three seasons before taking over the varsity position for both. I’ve enjoyed working with some excellent players and teams in my time at FHC,” coach Bolhouse claimed. “It’s been a lot of fun seeing my teams improve each year and beating some of the top teams in the state. We have an excellent tennis tradition at FHC and I’m focused on keeping us at the highest level moving forward.” Without question, the team’s strength and depth can be heavily attributed to the coaching staff. 

On the player’s spectrum, this FHC roster houses an incredible mix of skill and leadership. Senior captain Emily Johnson is just two years and one season removed from reaching the state semifinals for singles, helping the Rangers place tenth overall. In addition, junior Libby Moog and senior Olivia Hooper are well-respected members of the team and captains for the upcoming season.

“As a senior captain, it means so much to me to be able to not only play for my final season but to be able to lead such a great group of girls and I am incredibly honored,” senior Emily Johnson said. “This season, I am looking forward to overnight tournaments because that is when the team gets to bond and have fun outside of the courts. I am also excited to just be competing again and playing some rivals since we weren’t able to last year.” 

The anticipation of returning to play and gratefulness for the opportunity is reflected by other captains as well.

“I expect everybody to give 110 percent. As a captain, it is my job to push my team members to be the best that they can be,” junior Libby Moog exclaimed. “I truly believe that every single girl on this year’s team will bring their own type of fire that will fuel our overall spirit and passion.” 

With the foundations of the tennis programs ready to take on another year, the lady Rangers have a lot to look forward to this spring season. With the first match approaching, Mattawan and Rockford are scheduled to meet FHC on Tuesday, March 30th, in a chance to showcase what everybody missed out on a year prior.