Girls' tennis 2022: The prospect of a Minnetonka repeat looms as a key story line

Few sports are more inclined toward repeat state champions, at least at the team level, than tennis.

It's an individual sport that has adopted a team concept, and true upsets are rare, usually requiring multiple unexpected individual victories. When a team has one or two superior individuals, it sets up the coach to put everyone else into favorable matchups.

One needs only to look at Edina's 19 straight Class 2A girls' titles from 1997 through 2015 for proof.

This year, it's Minnetonka's turn to go for a repeat. The 2021 Class 2A champs once again field the state's strongest, and most versatile, lineup. The Skippers' top singles player is defending Class 2A champion Sarah Shahbaz, and behind her, Kelsey Phillips and Karina Elvestrom could play No. 1 singles for just about any other team in the state.

Kate Fiest and Carter Nye are undefeated in singles, and the Prondzinski sisters, Maddie and Sydney, are dependable doubles specialists.

Such a wealth of talent gives coach Brent Lundell plenty of options to reposition players, should he need to, with little or no drop-off in result.

So far the Skippers, who have played an understandably tough schedule, have lived up to their billing. They're 7-0 and have lost just one individual match.

2021 was a big season for Minnehaha Academy. The Redhawks featured two of the best players in Class 1A, then-sophomores Ancele Dolensek and Isabell Einess.

The duo, fast friends, spent the season pushing each other to improve and wound up meeting for the Class 1A singles championship. Dolensek won in three sets,

It's a different story this year. Dolensek decided to sit out the high school season to focus on playing national tournaments and improving her ranking,

Einess, who plays doubles with Dolensek in USTA tournaments, transferred to Breck, the defending Class 1A champion. Einess is playing No. 1 singles for the Mustangs and is No. 1 in Class 1A in the state coaches association rankings.

Edina, Elk River, Breck (Class 1A), Lakeville South, Lakeville North.

Cassandra Li, Eagan, freshman; Ava Nelson, Elk River, freshman; Lucy Nabedrick, Wayzata, junior; Keira Kelly, Lakeville North, sophomore; Greta Johnson, Minnehaha Academy (Class 1A), junior.