The Western Albemarle girls tennis team has had a history of winning, and is continuing to build that reputation in 2024.
“They’re professional,” head coach Gretchen Rush said. “They’ve won a lot, and they know what to do and they know what it takes to be successful.”
The Warriors most recently won against Lord Botetourt, 5-0, in the VHSL Class 3 state quarterfinal on Saturday. Among the six singles matches during the afternoon, only one featured a game loss for Western Albemarle.
WAHS stands at 19-1 on the year, and has thrived on a quality mix of youth and experience.
“We’ve got an amazing group of upperclassmen. They’ve been leaders,” Rush said. “Ella Conley is our senior — she’s been on a state championship tennis team.”
Blythe Sturman represents the Warriors in the No. 1 singles, where she carries a lot of prominence as a freshman.
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“We got just an influx of talent,” Rush said. “Blythe Sturman — she’s a tournament player, and she’s just very, very driven. She practices all the time down at Boar’s Head, she’s got great coaches and she’s definitely an up-and-coming player on the national scene.”
Another new addition to Western Albemarle’s lineup this season is its No. 2 singles player, Javi Ferrer.
“We have Javi Ferrer, who came from Chile,” Rush said. “Her family just moved to the Charlottesville area, and she’s been playing tennis since she was like six years old, so she’s a very skilled player.”
While the talent is present, the Warriors also bring an energized enthusiasm into practice and competition.
“We just have a lot of spirit here,” Rush said. “They love tennis and they love their school, so they’ve just given it their all every match, so it’s a pretty easy job to be their coach.”
As Western Albemarle advances further, it understands the focus is on what gives the overall team the victory.
“The idea is that we all kind of rise up together — that’s kind of what I’ve always tried to help my teams understand,” Rush said. “Even if you might lose your singles match, you might win your doubles match, and the team might prevail.”
The Warriors will aim to thrive on that mentality when they host Spotswood for the state semifinal on Monday. Western Albemarle recently defeated the Trailblazers for the Region 3C championship.
Chris Gionta
cgionta@dailyprogress.com
@Chris_Gionta on X
