4A Girls Tennis: Kent Denver Clinches Team State Championship

DENVER – The 2024 Class 4A girls tennis team state championship came down to a final and decisive third set.

At Denver Tennis Park on Tuesday, all the pressure fell squarely on Kendall Adams and Samantha Brenner. With the two finalist teams tied three matches to three in the final match of the dual-style team tournament, the Kent Denver No. 1 doubles pair led 3-0 in the decisive third set and had to hold off a comeback from Cheyenne Mountain’s Jocelyn Kelly and Saffron Heroldt to win 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 to clinch a 4-3 team victory for Kent Denver.

Not only did Adams and Brenner’s victory clinch the team title for Kent Denver, it avenged a loss to the Cheyenne Mountain pair from just a few days prior at the individual state championships.

“We just had to play as hard as we could to get it back,” Brenner said. “We really wanted to get that revenge after the loss.”

Added Adams, “Also, my freshman and sophomore year I had my faceoff against them in the finals. So, it was really great to have that moment back after we lost to them at state. Having the pressure on us and watching everyone watch us and cheer for us was really important to us. We’re just so excited.”

Tuesday’s win earned Kent Denver its first girls tennis team title since 2005.

“It feels insane,” Adams said. “It’s the first time at Kent Denver in a long time.”

At No. 1 singles, Kent Denver’s Lila Moldenhauer won 6-2, 6-2 over Cheyenne Mountain’s Alyssa Sadri. In the No. 2 singles slot, Cheyenne Mountain’s Sophie Zhou won 6-3, 6-3 against Kent Denver’s Victoria Strobos. At No. 3 singles, Cheyenne Mountain’s Rose Katen defeated Kent Denver’s Sofia Pina, 6-1, 6-1.

Kent Denver’s Annie Goldmanis and Nora Rapp won the No. 2 doubles title match by a score of 6-4, 6-4 over Cheyenne Mountain’s Shea Devanny and Daisy Hodsdon. At No. 3 doubles, Kent Denver’s duo of Claire Bookmyer and Sofia Begal won 6-1, 6-4 against Cheyenne Mountain’s Mary Koury and Emma Varnum. In Tuesday’s No. 4 doubles match, Cheyenne Mountain’s Meg Devanny and Lauren Sharp won 6-4, 8-6 over Kent Denver’s Sasha Berry and Margaux Lively.

Cheyenne Mountain has the second-most girls tennis team titles, regardless of classification, in Colorado history, with 25. The Red-Tailed Hawks have won 13 team championships since 2007.