- Details
- Written by: Donald Clark
Elkin High School is returning all six of its starters for the 2025 women's tennis season. The Lady Bucking Elks are also adding a senior who did not play last year but started two years ago at number four singles. The squad is also adding the numbers one and number two players from last year's undefeated middle school team. The three seniors who graduated in 2024 were not starters.
Dr. Jim Harrell, Jr. is starting his third season as the head coach at Elkin High School. He has an overall record of 18-10, finishing third in the conference both seasons. The squad held its first practice on Thursday, July 31st on the school courts.
"I am excited about the season. We have eighteen or more that I have been coaching since they were eighth graders. These ladies have matured as players, improved greatly, and are ready to compete in a realigned conference," said Dr. Harrell.
Elkin's top returnee is senior Elissa Dickerson who went 6-6 at number one singles as a junior. Junior Jocelyn Johnson returns at number two singles after an 8-5 campaign in 2024.
Coach Harrell runs a no-cut program at Elkin High School and will be keeping all eighteen players.
No comments- Details
- Written by: Vic Ramsey
The NCHSAA Board of Directors, at its spring meeting held on April 29th-30th, adopted the format for the individual and dual-team championships.
The actions of the NCHSAA over the course of the last six months track closely with the Realignment Priniciples adopted by the NCHSTCA Board last summer, with one major exception.
That exception was the decision by the Board of Directors to adopt the Bylaw Committee recommendation that the individual state tournaments be limited to eight singles players and eight doubles teams in each classification. This was a recommendation presented to the Board of Directors over the objection, and against the better judgment, of the NCHSTCA.
- Details
- Written by: Vic Ramsey
In January, the NCHSTCA conducted a survey of NC high school tennis coaches with regard to several issues concerning the 2025 realignment to eight classifications.
Ninety-two coaches responded to the survey, from all areas of the state and from all eight future classifications. We believe the results reflect an accurate picture of the feelings and beliefs of NC high school tennis coaches, and we have shared these results with NCHSAA staff.
- Details
- Written by: Vic Ramsey
On Monday, March 3rd, the NCHSAA Board of Directors met at its offices in Chapel Hill and heard appeals from schools asking for changes in their conference assignments. After hearing presentations from the schools, the Board of Directors voted on each proposal, denying the majority and approving only four changes.
- Cardinal Gibbons was granted an exception to move from 6A to 7A, while remaining in the same conference.
- Swansboro was granted a move to the 5A conference currently including schools such as Dixon and Croatan. Swansboro will be the only 6A school in that conference.
- NCSSM-Durham was allowed to join a conference in the Raleigh-Durham area, forming a 1A/2A/3A split of mostly charter schools in the Raleigh metro area.
- Fourteen schools in the northwestern section of the state were reconfigured into two conferences, one a 2A/3A/4A split and the other a 3A/4A combo.
After hearing all appeals, and voting on each, the Board adopted the final conference assignments for the new realignment period. A copy of that final report is available on the NCHSAA website.
The number of conferences remained 64, with all but 10 being split conferences. There are now 11 three-way splits and 43 two-way splits.
The vast majority of schools find themselves in split conferences.
- 68 schools are in single-class conferences
- 290 schools are in two-way splits
- 83 are in three-way splits
Seventeen schools are now "singletons"; that is, a school which is the only school of its classification in a given conference.
The prevalence of split conferences is true in all eight classifications, and is testimony to the fact that the Realignment Committee prioritized geography and natural rivalry over grouping schools of similar size.
The NCHSAA Board of Directors will now turn its attention to the work of its Bylaw Task Force, which is developing the playoff structure for individual and team sports, as well as the 2025-26 sports calendar.
This article has been updated to reflect the third draft of the conference assignments released by the NCHSAA on February 14th.