The Bryant Hornets tennis team held the 2026 Hornets Tennis Showcase on July 31, with both boys and girls performing well in singles and doubles competition. The showcase helps head coach Angel Dale make key decisions for the upcoming season.
Bryant is coming off a season in which graduates Kennedy Baker and McKenzie Schuetzle made state in doubles competition. The team finished the season 6-1 with a win in state play. Although the goal for this team is to win the conference, Dale’s message to players this season is to be patient, grind, work hard, take care of business and find a way to win.
In boys’ singles competition, Mohammed Dicko placed first, Easton Cunningham placed second and Gavin Crawford placed third. In girls’ singles play, Macy Earls placed first, Taylor Blake placed second and McKenna Fowler placed third.
In boys’ doubles competition, Crawford and Cunningham placed first, Dicko and Caleb Ford placed second, and Grayton Pengelly and Lucas Balajadia placed third. In girls’ doubles play, Laney Glymp and Ruby Tappe placed first, Earls and Kyleigh McGee placed second, and Allie Holmes and Fowler placed third.
The showcase not only helps the team rank players but also helps decide who will play varsity. “They understand that this is very important and that we actually give out trophies. It helps give them their rank on the team so they’ll know I’m either the first-place player or the eighth-place player. It shows them where they are on the team. It helps me pick out the varsity kids,” Dale said.
The Hornets are preparing for the upcoming season. During the offseason, they have put forth extra effort on the court outside of practices to get ready for the season. “We have a lot of people show up and work hard, so I’m very pleased with that. Then I’ve had several kids playing outside of my practices, which will help us get better,” Dale said.
Grinding and being patient will be key to success for the Hornets this season. “There’s always room for improvement. I think we have a great attitude, good work ethic, and if we can learn to grind — that’s probably our weak spot. Sometimes we think that the ball’s a winner and it’s not. Sometimes you’ve got to hit the ball 20 times before you get the winner. If we can learn to be patient and grind, we can beat some people,” Dale said.