The Tallwood girls tennis team has pulled off a feat the program hasn’t seen in 18 years.
Coach David Weiss’ Lady Lions have clinched a berth in the 6A South Region tournament for the first time since 1998, when Tallwood was the Beach District and regional champs.
The Lions went 9-1 in the regular season, beating every Coastal Conference opponent aside from Cox, a viable state title contender.
Tallwood knew in the preseason it had the pieces to be competitive.
“We started right out of the gate and beat First Colonial,” Weiss said. “It helped their confidence. Other teams didn’t realize how good we were until we started building our record.”
The catalyst behind the Lions’ resurgence has been Jahveesha Combs, a freshman who has taken over the No. 1 spot with authority. Combs made an immediate impact on a roster that returned a majority of last year’s starters, including former No. 1 Mia Casciani, a senior.
“She’s a tournament-level player who hits with the girls and is so selfless,” Weiss said of Combs. “Having another good player who can control the ball to run drills helps a lot. She’s such a humble player for somebody who’s so good, and the girls pick up on her work ethic.”
Casciani, the team captain, said she and her teammates came into the season with a chip on their shoulder to reverse the program’s fortunes.
From underdogs to contenders, the Lions have embraced their move to the top.
“Now there’s a sense of, ‘We have something to lose,'” Casciani said. “There’s definitely more pressure in that aspect, but I think the pressure is good. It helps with a boost of confidence since we’re playing better.”
Along with the team, Combs and Casciani clinched a spot in the region tournament as a doubles team after advancing to the Coastal Conference tournament finals on Thursday.
“She’s very consistent,” Casciani said of Combs. “She always encourages me, take one play at a time. For a freshman she’s very mature.”
Tallwood will face Grassfield in the 6A South Region team semifinals next week. Combs and Casciani await to learn who their doubles opponent will be.
