How Minnetonka girls tennis endured furor to return to state tournament

The Minnetonka tennis team has had a season filled with uncertainty, but they are determined to end it on a successful note. In the past two seasons, they have emerged as state champions, lifting the trophy high in victory.

These victories were made possible due to the abundance of talent on the team and the leadership of former coach Brent Lundell. Lundell took over after the passing of Minnetonka tennis legend Dave Stearns.

However, this season has presented new challenges. Graduation has stripped the team of many of its skilled players, and Lundell’s contract was not renewed. In their search for a replacement, Minnetonka looked to their own past, bringing on former player Jessa Richards-Boike as the new head coach. Richards-Boike had previously led the Skippers to multiple state tournament appearances and had a successful college tennis career at Augustana (S.D.).

Since her graduation in 2016, Richards-Boike has remained involved in the Twin Cities tennis scene, serving as an assistant coach at Holy Family in Victoria. “As a Skipper alum, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to return to the program,” Richards-Boike expressed.

However, Richards-Boike’s commitment to the team was challenged when she gave birth to her daughter, Raya, on Aug 21. Balancing coaching duties with maternity leave was a hurdle, but luckily, she had plenty of support.

Longtime assistant Jim Elvestrom, who also has daughters on the team, was there to offer his assistance. Additionally, Richards-Boike’s father, Dan Richards, who had been the head girls tennis coach at Robbinsdale Armstrong for 12 years, stepped in to run practices. Richards-Boike explained, “Jim has been a great help. It’s reassuring to have someone who knows the team well. And with my dad’s presence, he has been able to lead all the practices while I popped in when I could.”

Recently, Richards-Boike returned from her maternity leave, taking back the reins as head coach just in time for the team’s state tournament appearance. Minnetonka is the third seed in Class 2A and will be facing East Ridge in the quarterfinal match on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Richards-Boike may not have been with the team throughout the entire season, but she is impressed with their recent performance. She spoke about the team’s seven seniors and their captains, Karina Elvestrom and Carter Nye, saying, “While the expectations may have been lowered this year, we have a strong group of leaders. My dad and I both want the girls to have a positive experience and enjoy themselves.”

Serves and volleys

* The Class 2A tournament will be held at Baseline Tennis Center at the University of Minnesota, and Class 1A will take place at Reed-Sweatt Tennis Center in south Minneapolis. Team competitions will be on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by individual brackets on Thursday and Friday.

* Rochester poses a major challenge for any team aiming for a state championship. Rochester Mayo, the top seed in Class 2A, is led by the talented Loftus sisters, Claire and Aoife, as well as freshman standout Malea Diehn. All three have qualified for the individual tournament as well. Mayo has had an undefeated season and has been the top-ranked team in Class 2A throughout the year. While Mayo has consistently qualified for the state tournament, they have yet to win a team championship. In Class 1A, defending champion Rochester Lourdes is seeded first and is aiming for their 15th team title.

* The top-seeded players in the Class 2A singles bracket are Cassandra Li of Eagan, Claire Loftus, and Ava Nelson of Elk River. In Class 1A, Isabelle Einess of Breck, the No. 1 seed, is seeking her third consecutive championship match appearance. She reached the finals in 2021 as a sophomore at Minnehaha Academy and claimed the 1A title last year after transferring to Breck. The No. 2 seed in Class 1A is Annika Harberts of Providence Academy, followed by Leah Maddock of Osakis at No. 3.