Cedar Rapids Xavier remains among top Class 1A girls’ tennis teams despite graduation losses

CEDAR RAPIDS — In 2022, Cedar Rapids Xavier had a senior-laden girls’ tennis team that came within one match from a clean sweep of Class 1A gold.

So it would make sense that 2023 should have been a rebuilding year for Coach Matt Foxhoven's Saints.

Guess again.

Even with the departure of state singles champion Ella Tallett, doubles titlists Ally Burger and Courtney Carstensen along with Riley Braksiek and Maggie Zittergruen, the Saints haven't dropped off.

Entering Wednesday's regional singles and doubles competition, Xavier, 11-3 in duals, is ranked No. 2 behind defending state team champion Waterloo Columbus, which edged the Saints, 5-4, in the 2022 team final.

“Losing five seniors from last year’s team is always going to make things a little difficult the following year,” Foxhoven said, “but we had a group of girls that really looked up to those five and worked just as hard to get to where they are today. They saw what the program had done recently and wanted to be a big part of that.”

Xaiver will be playing at Grinnell, one of 16 regionals around the state where the winners and runners-up advance to the state meet, scheduled for May 26-27. Class 1A qualifiers will play at Byrnes Park in Waterloo with the 2A meet to be held at the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City.

The one Xavier returner with state experience is junior Avery Link. Not only has she ascended to the No. 1 singles position on the court, she has become a team leader off the court as well.

Link’s record in singles is a pedestrian-looking 8-6. Foxhoven said the numbers do not tell the entire story.

“Avery was in a tough spot,” Foxhoven said. “She not only had to step into the No. 1 singles spot role in a loaded conference this year, but also would have a whole team looking to her for guidance and leadership.

“Playing against the competition she faces every meet, it would be easy to mope around after your match if things don’t go your way. But she is the first one to go coach up a teammate or yell over to the next court to pick someone up.”

Link and senior Ali Schuchmann, ranked fourth and sixth in the state, will play singles for the Saints. Sophomore Izzy Tobin and senior Ruby Smith, along with senior Isabel Barnes and junior Olivia Cobb will play doubles.

“Ali Schuchmann and Isabel Barnes are two seniors who had a goal to be in the varsity top six and played in tournaments last summer and winter to get match play in,” Foxhoven said. “Olivia Cobb, Izzy Tobin and Ruby Smith have all spent time working on their game and it shows.”

Xavier is the only ranked team and has the only ranked players in a field that includes Albia, Chariton, Des Moines Hoover, Grinnell, Knoxville, Newton and North Polk.

“We have only played teams in the MVC this year so going in to these matches with a blank slate,” Foxhoven said. “That can be a good and bad thing. We can just go out and play our game, but the girls have to be able to make adjustments on the fly.”

Decorah and Mount Vernon are area schools hosting 1A regionals on Wednesday. Marion is among the schools playing at Mount Vernon.

In Class 2A, Cedar Rapids Washington and Iowa City West are host schools. The top-ranked Warriors are led by defending state doubles champions Kathryn Zylstra and Katelynn Kock. Warriors Coach Nina Marquardt confirmed that the duo, both among the top singles players in the state, will defend their doubles crown. Jefferson, Kennedy and Prairie also are in the field.

At West, the No. 5 Trojans and No. 6 Cedar Falls are the top teams in the regional. No. 8 Iowa City Liberty is in the Marshalltown regional while Linn-Mar and Iowa City High will be at Pleasant Valley.