Looking back, Ellsworth boys tennis had a team of six players just two years ago. Now, with a full varsity squad and a JV squad, the Panthers are taking the right steps to establish a program.

“Our first two years we had six kids total on the team, and last year we got a lot more kids and this year we have even more kids,” senior Carter Price said. “All the people who started last year, they’re making a lot of improvement. This year, we feel like a proper team.”

The numbers are back, but with the vast majority of the team having played tennis for just two years, they are working extra hard to make up for lost time.

“Most other teams have their whole varsity lineup is juniors and seniors,” sophomore Thomas Helseth said. “Carter’s got four, Jacob [Molter]’s got four, but everyone else only has two years [of experience].”

Head Coach Beth Friedrichsen had only positives to say about the attitude and work ethic of the team. Price, who she called one of the “OGs,” has been an instrumental piece in recruiting students to the team. While seeing the team grow has meant a lot to Price, he wants to take the next step and string some wins together.

“We really have to step up our level of playing,” Price said. “We’re not the most successful team record wise, but we can’t get complacent at all with how we play at the end of the season.”

Countless matches have come down to 10-point tiebreakers, an area where they have struggled. Price said if they can lock in on finishing these tiebreakers, they will get some team wins. With a rained out practice, Friedrichsen used the opportunity to have a classroom practice dedicated to fortifying mental toughness.

“You’re playing the game, you’re keeping track of your own score, you’re your own referee and you’re your own coach sometimes and cheerleader,” Friedrichsen said. “It’s pretty amazing that they can go out there and play this game.”

Together, many people on the team have gone from strangers to good friends.

“I feel like the bonds between everyone on the team are really tight-knit, and it feels like everyone’s really close friends,” senior Landen Lee said.

“Some of these people you don’t talk to as much inside of school, but once you come to the courts, you guys become best friends,” sophomore Milan Johnson said.

A few of the players recalled returning from a match in Eau Claire one night, heading to Summit Park, pulling a truck up to the courts, turning on the headlights and hitting balls for hours.

Friedrichsen promised the team that if they make Team State over the next few years, she will get a skullet haircut. A skullet is a haircut with a fully shaved top and sides of the head, but keeps the back of the head long. Wrapping up year two as the team’s coach, Friedrichsen said it would all be worth it if the team made a run.

After competing at the Middle Border Conference event at the John & Fay Menard Center, the team has experienced playing in large spaces, facing top players and having pressure.

“With it being a lot more players, it just makes it more stressful at the beginning, but then once you start playing, I feel like it all just fades away,” Johnson said. “You stop hearing all those loud noises when you’re in a match.”