Two Cyclones are continuing their tennis season into May after earning region championships following an overall solid year for the team.

The crew collectively ended their season at the NJCAA Region IV tournament on Oct. 13, after two days on their home courts. They took third place overall and finished third in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (3-2). Their overall record was 6-5. Sophomore Jasmine Abunaim (Sandburg) solidified her undefeated streak at #2 singles for a region championship and qualified for nationals. She, along with partner Brooke Zielke (Shepard), a freshman, also remained unbeaten at #1 doubles to claim a championship.

"Brooke and Jasmine are on a different level, and they're a great pair," said head Coach Breanna Vollan, culminating her first run leading the team.

At the start, freshman Karli Schmitt (Stagg) suffered a season-ending injury, leaving the team down a key player. Summar Hasan (Sandburg) was brought in to fill the void. With Schmitt cheering from the sidelines and Hasan being a good mix with the other players, the core group competed well and had solid efforts on the courts.

Audrey and Mary Stocklen (Shepard) finished their second and final year on the team while Serene Itani (Shepard) played hard in her first season with the Cyclones.

Finishing her first run as head coach, Vollan is happy with this group. "One of our goals was to have a winning record, which we did. Not too shabby considering our injury at the start of the season. But they all improved so much from the start. They upped their game and always pushed each other. The entire lineup worked hard," Vollan said. "They also did a really good job improving their mental game. It's easy to plateau at this level, but they worked on it every match."

This group was a close bunch that gelled well, each with something to contribute. "They all did such a good job and brought different strengths to the team. They all benefited," Vollan said. "Tennis is such an individual sport so it's hard to create a team. But they had such team spirit and camaraderie. We needed everyone."

As a first-year college coach, Vollan learned a thing or two to enhance her coaching and tennis playing game. She also knows what she can do to better prepare her team next year.

"We'll do more conditioning throughout the season. That would've helped the second day of the region tournament. Also, we can't be afraid to go back to basics. It really helps," she said.

Zielke and Abunaim still have nationals to prepare for in May, but they'll take a few weeks off to rest before regrouping and hitting the courts hard.