​Eagles tennis finish season unbeaten in conference after win over Belton

by Michael Smith


Losing four of the top six singles players in a high school tennis lineup is tough to deal with.

Often, it would result in a rebuilding year for that squad. For the 2024 Grain Valley girls’ tennis team, it hasn’t.

The Eagles had four of their top six singles players from the 2023 team graduate. That required veteran head coach Randy Draper to elevate some of his junior varsity players up to varsity and he even inserted a pair of freshmen into his lineup in 2024.

This season, Grain Valley hasn’t missed a beat. That was evidenced in its Suburban White Conference matchup with Belton. The Eagles dominated and earned an 8-1 victory Tuesday at home.

The Eagles improved to 17-4 with the win and finished the reason unbeaten in conference play at 7-0.

“This team is better than we thought going in,” Draper said. “Our kids have got so much better. I am really pleased with that. We have a couple of freshmen in our varsity lineup, and they have gotten so much better. We won the conference again. That is a pretty good habit we would like to keep up.”

Avery Lunn was one of those freshmen who stepped up and has taken over the No. 6 singles spot for the Eagles. She is playing tennis for the first time after her brother talked her into playing. On Tuesday, she won her singles match 8-5 and teamed with fellow freshman Payton Hazlett in the No. 3 doubles match and the duo won 8-6.

“I like playing doubles,” Lunn said. “It’s just fun to play with the girls. It’s a good community and I am happy to be there. We have been playing together for a while. I think our chemistry is pretty good.”

Lunn, however, was critical of her singles performance.

“I thought I played decent,” Lunn said. “I didn’t play how I should. I kept giving her easy points. My serves could have been better. This is my first year playing. I think I am doing good (this season).”

Draper noted the freshman has made some strides, though.

“Her (Avery) placement of the ball is so much better, and her backhand is a lot better,” Draper said of Lunn. “She just needs to relax some more so she can put strategy to use.”

Junior Courtney Hicks made a big jump from junior varsity team to the No. 3 singles spot on the varsity squad. She dominated her singles match in an 8-1 win and paired with junior Delany Thurn in the No. 2 single match, which they won 8-2.

“For doubles, I feel a lot better about my net game,” Hicks said. “I have been working on that. For singles, I hit with good pace and stayed in it. I played good today. During my freshman year, I was on the C team and last year I was on JV and now I am on varsity. I have moved up quite a lot from last year to this year. I have done well with the transition. I have been able to play up to the level I need to.”

​Thurn won her singles match 8-0 in the No. 4 match. No. 1 singles player Brooklyn Spencer, a senior, won 8-2 in singles and formed a duo with senior Catherine Barnes to take the No. 1 doubles match, 8-0. Barnes won her No. 2 singles matches easily, 8-1. 

​Grain Valley freshman Avery Lynn will her No. 6 singles match 8-5 and teamed with freshman Payton Hazlett in the No. 3 doubles match and won 8-6 during the Eagles' 8-1 win over Belton in their final Suburban White Conference game of the season. Photo credit: Michael Smith

Grain Valley junior Courtney Hicks win the No. 3 singles match 8-1 and paired with junior Delaney Thurn to take the No. 2 doubles match, 8-2. Photo credit: Michael Smith