Cedar Rapids Prairie girls’ tennis ‘hungry’ for more after state breakthrough

CEDAR RAPIDS – There is an excitable air of anticipation surrounding the Cedar Rapids Prairie girls' tennis team.

A three-win program just four years ago, the Hawks have been on an upward trajectory ever since. Three wins became six, then 11 before last season's glistening 13-3 record and the first state-tournament berth in Coach Scott Leggat's 13-year tenure.

Bolstered by the return of six of its top eight players, Prairie appears poised to not only challenge for the Mississippi Valley Conference crown, but make significant noise at the state tournament.

'Our goal is to win our conference, number one,' Leggat said. 'And then to improve our state placing that we did from last year. … The girls have put a lot of time in this winter. They got a taste of it last year, so they're kind of hungry. It should be exciting.'

The Hawks are led by junior Vale Caro, a two-time MVC first teamer who reached the quarterfinals of the Class 2A singles state tournament. Caro provides a powerful doubles tandem with her senior sibling Magui Caro, who missed all postseason competition last year due to illness. The sisters are anxious to return to the court as a twosome.

'I love having another person to work together and to reach a goal,' Vale Caro said. 'We're really excited, but we're sad at the same time because it's probably one of the last times I'll be playing with Magui.'

Tennis Preview: Girls' teams, players to watch | Boys' teams, players to watch

Vale Caro is one of the few returning No. 1 singles players in the MVC. She credits her participation in cross country last fall with an increase in endurance leading into the tennis season and like most competitors, controlling the mental game and fine-tuning her mechanics remained an offseason focus.

'I feel like I'm ready to take on the No. 1s,' Vale said. 'I've been really working on my forehand and trying to take advantage of my forehand and move the ball a lot and to control with that. We've really been going at that.'

Magui's late-season absence forced others in the Prairie lineup to move up a spot and further extend their capabilities. That experience will likely bear fruit for returners like senior Lauren O'Brian, sophomore Anna Postnikov and junior Karleigh Schilling.

'We worked really hard in the offseason and we're going even farther this year,' Schilling said. 'I'm really excited about it. … I feel like we're going to be really deep again this year.'

Prairie opens the season April 7 at defending MVC champion Iowa City High.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com