HARRELLS — The Harrells Christian Academy girls’ tennis team has spent the fall season proving that age is just a number and that commitment can overcome inexperience. Sitting at 12-5 overall and 6-3 in conference play, the Lady Crusaders have emerged as one of the area’s most consistent programs, built on a foundation of hard work, resilience, and the hunger to get better.
Head coach Jodie Nelson said she has been impressed by her players’ determination, especially considering how many of them are still underclassmen or new to regular varsity play.
“Last year we had some very young players that didn’t get to play much,” Nelson noted in an interview earlier this week. “This year three of them are playing every match and have really shocked me with the skills they’ve learned over the summer. Getting lessons, going to camps, that really helped the bottom half of our team.”
Despite a few tough matches along the way, Nelson said the group’s consistency has been key. Their most recent 7-2 win over Wayne Country Day reflected that steady progress.
“We went into it knowing we’d probably win because we played them before,” Nelson pointed out. “We had a couple of little upsets at number four singles and third doubles, but, overall, I thought we did pretty darn good. The score said it all.”
Leading the way for Harrells are players like freshman standout Lily Kate Rogers, junior Piper Nelson, and junior Ella McKeithan — all of whom have developed into dependable forces for the program.
Rogers, just a freshman, has already established herself as the team’s number-one seed, but she’s hardly new to the game.
“She’s been playing since seventh grade,” Nelson said. “In seventh grade, she was our number three, in eighth, she was our number two, and she moved up to number one this year. She works hard. She takes lessons weekly down in Wilmington and she’s a force to be reckoned with.”
That work ethic has translated directly to the court. Against Wayne Country Day, Rogers rolled through her match 6-1, 6-0. Nelson followed suit with a 6-3, 6-2 win, while McKeithan flipped the script on a previous tie-break battle from earlier in the year, winning her rematch 6-3, 6-2.
Newer players have also made a big splash. Emily Campbell, an eighth-grader, and freshman Parker Thompson both picked up wins last match, something Nelson said speaks volumes about their preparation.
“It’s good to see new players that didn’t get to play much last season come out with big wins,” she said.
With no seniors on the roster, the Crusaders’ youth movement is clear, but it’s also exciting for the future. Nelson said her players’ willingness to improve outside the normal school season has accelerated their growth.
“A lot of these girls go and get lessons weekly,” she said. “We don’t have many instructors nearby, so they’re having to travel to Clinton, Elizabethtown, Wilmington. And since our tennis courts were being redone this summer, we couldn’t practice as a team. But a lot of them took advantage of mini-camps around the state.”
That included Rogers and Nelson, who spent three weeks at the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina, sharpening their skills against high-level competition.
“They came into this season ready to play, and it definitely shows,” Nelson said. “You’re going to have good days and bad days, but all in all we’ve had more good ones than bad ones.”
The Crusaders’ next big test comes against Epiphany High School of New Bern, a team that edged Harrells by one match in last year’s postseason.
“We lost to them by one last year in the semifinals,” Nelson recalled. “We played them early this season and didn’t come out strong. I’m hoping this time the girls go in there with the right mental state, positive attitudes, and are very competitive.”
Assistant coach Elizabeth Rogers agreed, saying this group has set a standard of effort that’s carried them through a successful campaign.
“Our girls have played their best and played hard all season,” Rogers said. “We’ve faced some tough opponents, but every match they’ve gone into, they’ve given it their all. That’s become the standard.”
With a young core and a culture of improvement already in place, Rogers said the future of Harrells tennis looks bright.
“We don’t have any seniors this year,” she said. “We’ve got three juniors and then some younger players too. We’ve got great potential for the future. Next year, we should have all the girls back, and we’re excited about what’s ahead.”
As Harrells closes out its regular season and looks ahead to postseason play, the Crusaders carry more than just a winning record — they carry a growing tradition built on youth, experience, and the kind of commitment that makes a program last.
“They’ve committed to this team and done their part,” Nelson said. “That shows how much they want to get better at their craft. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”