The 2025 Hermantown high school girls tennis team won’t be sneaking up on anyone — not with over a dozen seniors on the roster and a head coach expecting big things.
“I’m so excited for the season to start next week!” said longtime Hawks coach Jessica Worden. “We have over 12 returning seniors this year, so we are looking to have a lot of leaders this year.”
And they’re not just returning to fill roster spots. Hermantown’s three senior captains — Rylee Kalkbrenner, Sophia Piede and Evie Sullivan — have already taken the reins in offseason captain’s practices and are expected to anchor key varsity positions.
“They’ve been leading the team through captain practices,” Worden said, “and look to play strong positions this season.”
With a new section alignment offering fresh competition, Hermantown is setting its sights on something more than just a winning record.
“We’re aiming to win the Lake Superior Conference championship this year and place high in sections,” Worden said. “We’ve been put in a new section due to tennis realignments and are looking to make a breakout with this section.”
The Hawks' regular season begins with a flurry of matches in late August. They’ll host Duluth East on Aug. 20 and then face St. Francis and Duluth Marshall in a trio of home matchups. The action continues with a tri-meet at Grand Rapids on Aug. 26, followed by Rock Ridge, Princeton and several other matches before the calendar flips to September.
Road trips to Cloquet (Sept. 2), Superior (Sept. 4) and Stella Maris Academy (Sept. 9) will challenge the team mid-season. Hermantown wraps up its regular-season campaign with a stretch of important home matches, including Cloquet (Sept. 17), Hibbing (Sept. 22), Duluth Denfeld (Sept. 23), Stella Maris (Sept. 24), and Superior (Sept. 25), many of which will help determine the conference race.
With a deep bench, strong leadership, and one of the most experienced lineups in the region, Hermantown appears well-positioned to achieve its preseason goals.
“There’s a great energy around this group,” said Worden. “We’re ready.”