Girls Tennis: Valor Christian’s Daugherty Seeking Third Straight State Title

AURORA – Over the past two seasons, Valor Christian senior Caroline Daugherty has asserted herself as the queen of high school tennis in Colorado.

This spring, the Denver University commit has a chance to make history as the first three-time state champion in Class 5A in well over two decades.

The last time that happened was in 2003, when Columbine’s Sara Anundsen achieved the feat. Kent Denver’s Lila Moldenhauer did it last year in 4A.

In the last 30 years, there have been two four-time 4A champions — Cheyenne Mountain’s Becky Varnum in 1999 and Pine Creek’s Nicole Leimbach in 2004. Only Cherry Creek’s Alicia Salas achieved that high mark in 5A in 2000.

Daugherty first won the No. 1 singles state championship during her sophomore campaign in 2024 when she mastered Chaparral’s Remy Nguyen in straight sets — 6-2, 6-4. Last year’s title campaign brought even less intrigue, as she defeated Ralston Valley’s Emerson Bonner 6-3, 6-2.

All of it, she said, was a way to avenge the fourth-place finish she earned as a freshman.

“Going into my freshman year, I knew there were a few other girls who were really good,” Daugherty said. “I wasn’t ready for the pressure I’d feel in a third set of a semifinal match (against Cherry Creek’s Lorena Cedeno). I didn’t really have an idea of what that was. When I lost my third set and then eventually got fourth, I was really disappointed from it.

“I kind of just wanted to work harder and prove that I could win a state title after that. I think that really motivated me to work harder and get used to playing better under pressure.”

After that, Daugherty decided to hit the summer tournaments a little harder, all while she worked to hone her court and mental game. The results, of course, speak for themselves. She finished her freshman campaign with a 16-4 record, went 15-2 as a sophomore, then capped off her junior season with a 13-1 record.

“I just got better at being more confident on the bigger points, like deuce points or 30-ball points, where it was a one-point difference to determine the game,” Daugherty said. “I also became more confident with trusting bigger shots, going to the net or going for an aggressive serve on a bigger point rather than being nervous I would miss it.”

Daugherty is 2-0 this season as teams have begun making their way to the postseason, which includes team play beginning April 22 and individual tournaments starting May 2. Individual state tournaments begin May 7, and the team state championship is May 12.

Daugherty said that she is most confident in her backhand, but over the past few seasons she’s also taken pride in her ability to come forward and close out points at the net.

Her coach, Bill Epping, has reveled in the level of competition she always throws down on the court. He said she’s become somewhat of a coach herself, as all of her teammates look up to her and her poise during matches.

“She’s the best player I’ve coached on the girls side, hands down, not only just from a state title championship and a skill set, but just her leadership, her ability to help other kids on the team,” Epping said. “She’s more concerned about the team than she is herself, which is fantastic. The other kids see that she brings focus to the court every day.”

Daugherty said that while it would be fun to make a little history in her final season with the Eagles, her focus is somewhere else.

“Going into junior year, I guess I was just pretty nervous for actually having to defend the title,” she said. “People expected me to do well again, so that was kind of difficult. But then I just had to remind myself at the end of the day, if I was able to do it a year ago when I was younger and less experienced, then I have the same abilities to do it this year, too.

“I’ve tried to be more relaxed about (this season). I mean, I’ve already won two titles, so a third one’s obviously important and would mean a lot to me, but it’s not really the most important thing to me this season. I would say I’m just more focused on enjoying my senior year and having fun with my team and having my team be successful than individual success for myself.”