Girls’ Tennis Wins Sections for Fourth Year

Written by: JJ Heilbrun

Four in a row, and still on the go! The Providence Academy Girls’ Varsity Tennis team qualifies for the MSHSL State Tournament for the fourth year in a row. The team was victorious over the 5A section to advance to state!

The Lady Lions had an outstanding 2024 season, which was rewarded with a first round bye in the section playoffs. Then, the Lions traveled to Gustavus Adolphus College to compete in the Semi-Finals of sections where they took on Bell Plaine and emerged as the winner.

“I was really nervous watching the opposing teams play. This would determine who our next opponent would be. But, I was confident our team could beat any of these teams. Delaney Flanigan, ‘25, commented.

The Lions would go on to face Sibley East in the section finals. This match had a lot on the line, as the winner would advance to state. For the Lions, this match also meant keeping the state streak alive for the fourth straight year. The match wasn’t as close as anticipated, with the Lions winning 5-2

“I’m really proud of our team, because I know all the hard work and dedication that went into achieving this feat,” said Annabelle Whitaker, ‘25.

Although the celebration was hard-earned, the team shifted their focus quickly to their upcoming state match. They took on Crookston in the first round of the state tournament. Unfortunately, the Lady Lions were defeated, 5-2. They got the opportunity to play for 5th place against Montevideo. Unfortunately, they lost that match, and while it is a tough way to cap off the season, it doesn’t overshadow their outstanding run this year..