Seniorless Seahawks setting tone for young tennis players
Last season, the Sussex Academy girls’ tennis team’s only loss in the Henlopen Conference was to powerhouse Caesar Rodney. Heading into the 2025 season, the Seahawks will continue to aim for wins, but will focus on the progress of all.
“I'm looking forward to seeing everyone grow this year over the season,” said junior Karina Lopez. “We have a really young team right now, so I'm expecting that, in our good environment with our great coach and our awesome team, we’ll improve a lot.”
Lopez will hold down first singles for the team, a role she has maintained since her freshman year, and will be joined by her junior classmate Priya Haldar as the captains of the young squad.
Coach Rich Lichtenwalner has given the young guns no quarter, despite their inexperience, and has gotten his girls to buy in.
“Coach has been drilling us hard; he wants us to be physically ready for any long possible match that comes our way,” Haldar said. “We have to be prepared mentally and physically. He's been drilling us, but I think we've been working hard, and I think we'll be ready,”
Lichtenwalner has seen success in recent years, and he hopes to continue that trend, but is wearing a different hat this year than last year.
“I'm looking for players that will play year-round and that will continue with the sport,” Lichtenwalner said.
He said his goal as a coach is to get the girls to enjoy the sport enough to continue playing outside the high school season. The Seahawks’ coach believes in planting the seeds now for success next year.
“There's only so much you can just do in a single season with two months, so my goal is just to kind of get that drive, make sure they know the expectations and they know the fitness level that's required,” Lichtenwalner said. “Hopefully they can spend the necessary time and make the adjustments in the off-season, so they can come back and we can really work hard.”
For Lopez and Haldar, they believe in leaving a legacy of hard work and commitment when they graduate in 2026.
“We can have even more skilled doubles players and other singles player,” Haldar said about the development. “Once Karina and I leave, we'll hopefully leave a really good squad, really prepared to take on the higher-level teams, but also take on any school that comes at us.”
Sussex Academy will welcome Worcester Prep for its season opener at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 26.
