Seniors Eleanor Glennie, Eleanor Lenaghan and Harriet Juister have continued building upon their success through multiple varsity seasons with the Riverside Brookfield High School girls tennis program. Now team captains, they and the Bulldogs have even more reasons for enthusiasm, playing in a new conference.
“My goal is just kind of improve my skills and bring the team much closer together, really have that bond that we didn’t in past years,” Lenaghan said.
“I’m not going to [play tennis] in college so this is my last year to have a team and learn a lot of tennis and just be able to be with people I love playing with the most.”
The Bulldogs dominated last year’s Metro Suburban Conference for their first title since four straight from 2006-09. Juister and junior Soleil Kaciuba (No. 1 doubles) and Glennie and Lenaghan (No. 2 doubles) were MSC champions. Sophomore Paige Zavorski was second at No. 1 singles.
Now part of the Upstate Eight Conference, the Bulldogs currently are 6-0 in duals. Other than the 4-3 victory over Glenbard South, RBHS lost no more than one match in the other five.
Riverside-Brookfield’s Eleanor Glennie returns a shot during her #1 doubles match with Eleanor Lenaghan against Glenbard East Thursday, August 29, 2024 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston. 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Eleanor Lenaghan returns a shot during her #1 doubles match with Eleanor Glennie against Glenbard East Thursday, August 29, 2024 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston. 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Harriet Juister hits a backhand during her #2 singles match against Glenbard East Thursday, August 29, 2024 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston. 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Harriet Juister follows through on her serve during her #2 singles match against Glenbard East Thursday, August 29, 2024 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston. 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Soleil Kaciuba comes to the net for a volley during her #1 singles match against Glenbard East Thursday, August 29, 2024 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston. 
Riverside-Brookfield’s Soleil Kaciuba returns a shot during her #1 singles match against Glenbard East Thursday, August 29, 2024 in Brookfield. | Steve Johnston.
“I feel like everyone’s a lot more into tennis this year,” Glennie said. “Everyone wants to try more and I feel like everyone’s very motivated and encouraging. Since last year, we’ve become more of a team together and we know how to help each other.”
Glennie and Lenaghan enter their fourth varsity seasons and Juister her third.
Juniors Abby Krueger, Alekse Alijosius and Abby Weinert also are lineup returnees. Others to watch include sophomore Gabriella Graupera, junior Kennedy Holakovsky and freshman Amanda Krueger.
Besides RBHS head coach Sam Weiss, the seniors praised volunteer assistant Syed Ahmad, who began by working with the boys team in the spring.
“Tennis is a journey. Overall we are taking steps in the right direction and improving long-term,” Weiss said. “The goal is to win conference. The key to success is getting comfortable with being uncomfortable on the court. We want our kids to take their game to the next level and instead of playing to their strengths, we want them to improve their weaknesses.”
At the 2023 Class 2A Hinsdale Central Sectional, Kaciuba and the doubles teams of Glennie and Lenaghan and Alijosius with graduated Danielle DiMonte lost in the round of 16. Kaciuba won her play-in singles match and Juister lost hers.
“Over the past three seasons, I’ve had a better season each time, so I’m really excited to play this year,” Juister said. “All of the seniors are the captains so it’s really fun to be in a leadership role now. That’s a new thing for senior year and I’m happy to do that with the Eleanors.”
LTHS girls tennis
Lyons Township seniors Ginny Gibbs, Mia Graziano and Ashley Culin are determined to take that final step to state, even while returning to one of the state’s toughest 2A sectionals.
Gibbs and Graziano have come one doubles victory from a top-four sectional finish and state berth the past two seasons. Culin also came one doubles victory from state in 2023 with graduated Maddie Rowen.
“It’s really motivating to make it to state this year. Hopefully we do,” said Graziano, a state badminton doubles qualifier. “I hope sectionals go well. It’s just a reinforcement to do well during the season so we have a good seeding.”
Other returning starters are sophomore Abby Sullivan, seniors Addy Pelling and Vivian Kittridge and juniors Rhia Nagale and Caroline Robb. Key newcomers include freshman Elisa Novey and juniors Erin Hanzlik and Nina Channell.
The Lions’ stronger overall lineup can surpass last year’s fourth-place finish in the tough West Suburban Conference Silver Division.
They’re 3-1 in Silver duals, edging York 4-3, Sept. 17, while losing 7-0 Thursday to Hinsdale Central, fifth at state last year. Oak Park and River Forest and Downers Grove North remain. One big change has been Graziano playing No. 1 doubles with Culin. Gibbs has been paired with Robb at No. 2 doubles.
“[Our lineup] just depends on how things fall,” Culin said before the season. “I’m super-motivated. It would be so cool to get to state. We have a tough conference, but it’s a great opportunity and a good motivator to get as far as we can.”
Sullivan has returned to No. 1 singles with Novey at No. 2. At last year’s sectional, Sullivan and Pelling both lost to seeded players in the round of 16. The Lions play host to this year’s sectional. Returning opponents Hinsdale Central and York combined for two singles and three doubles state berths in 2023 with only two doubles players being seniors.
“I’m motivated to not only have a good chance personally and our No. 1 doubles spots, but everybody,” Gibbs said. “I’m really excited about what they’re going to do because we have very strong players this year.”