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By Brian Pitts

Davie Enterprise Record

The spring 2021 Davie girls tennis season ended June 18. Davie turned the page to the fall 2021 season on June 21.

“It never even stopped for us,” fifth-year coach Collin Ferebee said. “We were doing workouts all summer. We started the Monday after (the Midwest Regional at Hopewell). I had people working out pretty much every week all summer unless it was a dead week.”

Last spring the War Eagles went 5-7 and finished fifth out of six in the Central Piedmont Conference. Reynolds and West Forsyth shared first place at 8-1. Reagan (6-4), East Forsyth (3-5), Davie (3-7) and Glenn (0-10) were next. Parkland and Mt. Tabor have now joined the CPC via realignment.

The War Eagles have enough experience to be a dark horse this fall. Karlie Quinn is a junior who was the top seed the past two years, including a 10-4 sophomore season in which she finished third in the CPC in singles. Leslie Newsom and Abby Fletcher were starters the past two years. Sarah West Marklin is a returning starter. Gabby Thompson was a spot starter last spring.

“Karlie is ready to pick up where she left off from last year,” Ferebee said.

Ferebee has a rather large squad – three seniors, five juniors, seven sophomores and four freshmen. The seniors are Fletcher, Allison Plott and Whitney DeLoach. The juniors are Katelyn Cohen, Grace Jacobs, Quinn, Newsom and Marklin. The sophomores are Olivia Swisher, Bonnie Taylor, Brooklyn Lakey, Ali Cranfill, Mattie Barnette, Thompson and Tru Koren. The freshmen are Abigail Etter, Cat Rosser, Elliot Newsome and Fatima Torres.

After back-to-back losing seasons, Davie is hungry to be a contender again.

“They’ve worked so hard over the summer,” he said. “I could tell you something positive about all of them. Grace has not been a starter, but she has worked a ton since her freshmen year to get better. Gabby was in the 6-8 range last year – not a starter but kind of like the first off the bench. She worked super hard over the summer and her strokes look way better this year.

“They’re stronger and I can tell they’re faster. They’re not happy about it, but they’re running hard and doing what I’m asking. I told them: ‘I know you don’t love it. It’s not everyone’s favorite thing. But we’ve got Reynolds, Reagan, West Forsyth – all these good schools. We may not be the most talented, but we’re going to beat them with effort.’ And they’ve bought in.

“It’s been the same since last year. No one’s fighting. No one’s arguing. No one’s complaining. They don’t even complain that it’s hot. I couldn’t be happier with the girls that I’ve got.”