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Bland and Ridgeview girls take state tennis titles
Updated June 11
Bland High School combined its athletic programs with neighboring Rocky Gap in 1992 before the two rivals eventually consolidated as Bland County High in the 2014-15 school year.
The Bears entered the 2025-26 prep sports calendar having never won a Virginia High School League state team championship in any sport.
That changed Thursday.
Bland County made history as the Bears dispatched three-time defending champion Rappahannock High of Warsaw with a 5-1 victory in the Class 1 girls tennis final at Liberty University in Lynchburg.
In 2023, Rappahannock County won the first of its three consecutive titles.
In 2023, Bland County did not have a girls tennis team.
In 2024 when the Bears revived their program, they did not have playable home courts and were forced to play all their matches on the road and hold practices on private clay courts.
None of it mattered as Bland County survived in extreme heat to claim the big trophy for the first time.
Senior Tinley Worley, a Ferrum College volleyball signee, led the way at No. 1 singles. Seniors Addison Myers (No. 2 singles), Kendall Worley (No. 3) and Alysia Lopez (No. 4) scored victories Thursday along with freshman Laiken Wolfe (No. 6). Tinley Worley, the Region 1C champion, will play in a state singles semifinal Friday and team with Myers in the doubles competition.
Junior Annabelle Rasnake played the No. 5 position, while freshman Cohen Wright was in the lineup at No. 3 doubles.
The doubles matches were not necessary as Bland County closed out the match with the five singles victories.
Bears head coach Jonathan Romano, a former college men’s player at Emory & Henry, credited his team’s overall athleticism for the championship.
“I started teaching there … and I figured, ‘Why not try to get a tennis team up?’ ” Romano said. “I got this group of girls, mostly it was girls on the volleyball team. Girls decided to come out and play and had never touched a tennis racket in their life.”
Volleyball coaches at times have been known for being territorial about their athletes. That was no problem for Romano. His brother, Hunter, is the school’s volleyball head coach and his tennis assistant.
“It definitely did [make it easier],” he said.
Bland County finished 22-1 with the lone loss coming to Mountain Empire District rival George Wythe, one of six matches this season against the Maroons including last week’s Class 1 state semifinal.
Bland County is not without a successful tennis past.
Ashleigh Sarver was a four-time Group A singles champion from 1996-99, while her sister Grace Sarver won three Group A titles (2009-10, 2012).
Long before the two county schools joined forces, Bland High won four successive Group III boys basketball state titles from 1961-64, and Rocky Gap captured the boys basketball crown in 1965.
Bland County did not have a monopoly on tennis success stories for consolidated schools.
Ridgeview High, which opened in 2015 with the Dickenson County consolidation of Clintwood and Haysi high schools, won the Class 2 girls championship Thursday at Liberty University with a 5-2 victory over Bruton.
Clintwood High boasted a solid tennis tradition in the 1980s with VHSL Group A runner-up finishes in 1980 and ’89.
However, during the past 40-plus years, tennis at the Group A or Class 2A level in the Mountain Seven District was owned by the likes of Gate City with 10 state championships, J.J. Kelly with eight and Central-Wise with one.
The Wolfpack capped a build from the ground up with a blueprint by head coach Adam Smith, completing a 22-0 season that included a pair of triumph over Class 3 quarterfinalist Abingdon and a 5-4 quarterfinal win over Radford on June 5 at Virginia Tech.
The title was the third in school history, following a Class 2 girls basketball championship in 2016 and a Class 2 volleyball crown in 2024.
Smith, a North Carolina native and a former No. 1 men’s singles player at Emory & Henry, took over the Ridgeview program in 2018 and rolled out a lineup in 2026 that featured a mix of seniors and freshmen.
“It’s worked out,” said Smith, a former boys head coach at Abingdon. “It’s perfect chemistry. Some of the seniors have been with me since seventh grade. I started a little middle school program because I was tired of losing. Two of them stuck with me throughout and it’s really good to see them achieve the ultimate goal.”
Region 2D singles champion Danica Sutherland led the way in the No. 1 spot, and heir-apparent freshman Adrianne Potter was at No. 2. Sutherland, an E&H signee, will compete in a Class 1 singles semifinal Friday morning before teaming with Potter in a doubles semi.
Seniors Josie Hill, Scotlin Bowens and Jaeda Dingus; and freshman Kinsley Yates rounded out the top six.
Ridgeview’s depth was critical in its quarterfinal victory over Radford as the Wolfpack won at No. 3, 4 and 6 singles and No. 2 and 3 doubles.
“Number 4 was the pivotal match,” Smith said. “Scotlin lost the first set. Won the second set in dominant fashion and then won the tiebreaker, I think 10-6. I knew once we got it to 3-all I thought we had a real good shot at [No.] 2 and 3 doubles. We’ve prided ourselves on good doubles play.”
Floyd County saw its bid for a first boys state tennis title come up short as Bruton High of Williamsburg handed the Buffaloes a 5-2 setback at Liberty.
Other team champions Thursday were James Madison (Class 6 boys), Western Albemarle (Class 4 boys), Jamestown (Class 4 girls) and Maggie Walker (Class 3 girls).
The Class 5 boys, Class 6 girls and Class 5 girls team finals at Huntington Park in Newport News were suspended because of extreme heat with plans to resume Thursday evening.
Friday’s Class 6, Class 5 and Class 4 boys and girls singles semifinals in Newport News have been moved up to an 8 a.m. start with doubles now scheduled for 11 a.m.
Bland girls to play for first team championship
Updated June 9
Bland County and George Wythe played their Class 1 girls team semifinal Tuesday and the result was similar to the Region 1C championship match as the Bears took a 5-1 win over the Maroons.
Bland County will play for its first team championship Thursday at Liberty University in Lynchburg when the Bears line up against three-time defending state champion Rappahannock High of Warsaw.
The girls teams from E.C. Glass and Abingdon hit semifinal walls Tuesday with Jamestown defeating Glass 5-0 in Class 4 and Meridian scoring a 5-0 road win over Abingdon.
Floyd boys reach first state championship match in 39 years
Updated Monday, June 8
Floyd County reached its first VHSL state boys tennis championship match in 39 years on Monday, while Cave Spring’s boys and Radford’s girls suffered narrow semifinal losses.
Floyd scored a 5-3 decision over Richlands in a Class 2 at home. The Buffaloes will play 2025 state runner-up Bruton for the state title Thursday at Liberty University in Lynchburg. The final is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Floyd County’s only previous appearance in a state final was in 1987 when the Buffaloes fell 8-1 to George Mason.
Bruton is making its fifth successive trip to the state championship match. The Williamsburg team won the title in 2024. Bruton lost 5-4 to Marion in the 2025 final.
Cave Spring, which last made a boys state tennis final in 1978 at the Group AAA level, dropped a 5-4 match in a Class 3 semifinal at home to Maggie Walker Governor’s School of Richmond.
Maggie Walker won back-to-back Class 3 championships in 2023-24 along with five Group 2A/Class 2 titles between 2014-19. Maggie Walker will face the winner of Tuesday’s match between Western Albemarle and James Monroe in the Class 3 final Thursday at Liberty University.
Radford’s girls saw their bid for a 10th VHSL tennis championship end Monday at Virginia Tech with a 5-4 loss to Ridgeview High of Dickenson County.
Ridgeview will play for its first VHSL tennis title Thursday at Liberty University against Bruton, a 5-0 semifinal winner over Fort Defiance.
E.C. Glass has a Class 4 girls semifinal Tuesday at Jamestown High in Williamsburg.
Abingdon’s girls will be at home in a Class 3 semifinal against Meridian High of Falls Church.
Bland County will play at home at 9 a.m. Tuesday against George Wythe in a Class 1 girls semifinal in a rematch of the Region 1C final won by the Bears.
Scores and pairings are updated below.
BOYS TENNIS
CLASS 6
Team quarterfinals
James Madison 5, Battlefield 0
Thomas Jefferson (Alexandria) 5, Landstown 0
Langley 5, Independence 0
James Robinson 5, J.R. Tucker 2
Team semifinals
James Madison 5, Thomas Jefferson (Alexandria) 0
Langley 5, James Robinson 0
June 11
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Team championship
James Madison 5, Langley 0
June 12
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles semifinals
Vedant Bhende (Western Branch) vs. Thiago Mendieta (Patriot), 9 a.m.
Ishaan Nijasure (Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria) vs. Josh Vargas (James Madison), 9 a.m.
Doubles semifinals
Vedant Bhende and Vinir Patel (Western Branch) vs. Thiago Mendieta and Neil Munjal (Patriot), 1 p.m.
Ishaan Nijasure and Jonah Treitler (Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria) vs. Josh Vargas and Lucas Albisu (James Madison), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 8 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.
CLASS 5
Team quarterfinals
Frank Cox 5, Granby 0
Deep Run 5, Briar Woods 2
Ocean Lakes 5, Maury 2
Freedom (South Riding) 5, Glen Allen 4
Team semifinals
Deep Run 5, Frank Cox 1
Freedom (South Riding) 5, Ocean Lakes 0
June 11
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Team championship
Freedom (South Riding) 5, Deep Run 2
June 12
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles semifinals
German Gonzalez (Frank Cox) vs. Jack Swartzwelder (Midlothian), 9 a.m.
John Felts (Maury) vs. Dominick Vo (Freedom-South Riding), 9 a.m.
Doubles semifinals
German Gonzalez and Sam Dixon (Frank Cox) vs. Andy Liu and Jack Bawa (Deep Run), 1 p.m.
John Felts and Johnny March (Maury) vs. Dominick Vo and Piyush Goswami (Freedom-South Riding), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 8 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.
CLASS 4
Team quarterfinals
Hanover 5, Lafayette 0
Charlottesville 5, Loudoun Valley 1
Jamestown 5, Atlee 2
Rock Ridge 5, Blacksburg 0
Team semifinals
Rock Ridge 5, Jamestown 0
Charlottesville 5, Hanover 0
June 11
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Team championship
Rock Ridge 5, Charlottesville 1
June 12
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles semifinals
Zach Wright (Lafayette) vs. Neel Pasunuri (Broad Run), 9 a.m.
Judah Wang (King George) vs. Sean Frank (Charlottesville), 9 p.m.
Doubles semifinals
Keean Buirski and Chrishn Parikh (Jamestown) vs. Akash Vangala and Christian Bhide (Rock Ridge), 1 p.m.
John DiNardi and Connor Golden (Powhatan) vs. Reed Marsden and Youngmin Kim (Blacksburg), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 8 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.
CLASS 3
Team quarterfinals
Cave Spring 5, Spotswood 1
Maggie Walker 5, Tabb 2
Western Albemarle 5, Hidden Valley 0
James Monroe 5, York 0
Team semifinals
Maggie Walker 5, Cave Spring 4
Western Albemarle 5, James Monroe 0
June 11
At Liberty University, Lynchburg
Team championship
Western Albemarle 5, Maggie Walker 0
June 12
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Singles semifinals
Neel Dharni (Tabb) vs. Ethan Steryous (Lord Botetourt), 9 a.m.
Thomas Lapp (Meridian) vs. Gage Sturman (Western Albemarle), 9 a.m.
Doubles semifinals
Neel Dharni and Josiah Johnson (Tabb) vs. Luke Gibson and Blake Ketron (Abingdon), 1 p.m.
Jack Quinton and Griffin Van Zandt (James Monroe) vs. Gage Sturman and William Schundler (Western Albemarle), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 9 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
CLASS 2
Team quarterfinals
Floyd County 5, Marion 3
Richlands 5, Patrick County 0
Central (Woodstock) def. Poquoson, forfeit
Bruton 5, Smith Mountain Lake Christian 0
June 8
Team semifinals
Floyd County 5, Richlands 3
Bruton 5, Central (Woodstock) 0
June 11
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Team championship
Bruton 5, Floyd County 2
June 12
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Singles semifinals
Christophe Schweitzer (Bruton) vs. Brady Sutherland (Radford), 9 a.m.
Kyle McCabe (Central-Woodstock) vs. Jack Clem (Richlands), 9 a.m.
Doubles semifinals
Christophe Schweitzer and Alekzandr Rivera-Guzman (Bruton) vs. Christian Hill and Chaitanya Gohil (Glenvar), 1 p.m.
Kyle McCabe and Paxton Anderson (Central-Woodstock) vs. Caden Burchett and Brady White (Marion), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 9 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
CLASS 6
Team quarterfinals
James Madison 5, Gainesville 0
Thomas Jefferson (Alexandria) 5, Landstown 0
Langley 5, Independence 0
West Potomac 5, Cosby 0
Team semifinals
James Madison 5, Thomas Jefferson (Alexandria) 4
Langley 5, West Potomac 0
June 11
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Team championship
Langley 5, James Madison 1
June 12
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles semifinals
Chloe Samuels (Landstown) vs. Shenaya Fernando (Battlefield), 9 a.m.
Iva Stefanovska (Lake Braddock) vs. Gabriela Hernandez (James Madison), 9 a.m.
Doubles semifinals
Deja Thomas and Cayley Griffith (Grassfield) vs. Sanjali Konduru and Veda Sankara (Independence), 1 p.m.
Karis Kim and Alice Deng (Thomas Jefferson-Alexandria) vs. Gabriela Hernandez and Katie Hilton (James Madison), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 8 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.
CLASS 5
Team quarterfinals
Frank Cox 5, Granby 1
Douglas Freeman 5, Briar Woods 2
Floyd Kellam 5, Maury 2
Riverside 5, Mills Godwin 2
Team semifinals
Riverside 5, Floyd Kellam 1
Douglas Freeman 5, Frank Cox 1
June 11
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Team championship
Douglas Freeman 5, Riverside 2
June 12
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles semifinals
Ava Rassool (Frank Cox) vs. Ana Maria Rincon (Patrick Henry-Roanoke), 9 a.m.
Ariana Pazos-Del Aguila (Granby) vs. Jill Dang (John Champe), 9 a.m.
Doubles semifinals
Ava Rassool and Valentine Renault (Frank Cox) vs. Ana Maria Rincon and Kathryn Rincon (Patrick Henry-Roanoke), 1 p.m.
Ariana Pazos-Del Aguila and Sai Bhasin (Granby) vs. Emma Lee and Mariana Tan Li (Riverside), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 8 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.
CLASS 4
Team quarterfinals
Atlee 5, Smithfield 1
John Handley 5, Rock Ridge 2
Jamestown 5, Hanover 0
E.C. Glass 5, Loudoun Valley 4
Team semifinals
John Handley 5, Atlee 1
Jamestown 5, E.C. Glass 0
June 11
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Team championship
Jamestown 5, John Handley 0
June 12
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles semifinals
Paisley Hogue (Jamestown) vs. Lexi Rotaru (Broad Run), 9 a.m.
Zabrielle Vasquez (Atlee) vs. Tovia Carothers (E.C. Glass), 9 a.m.
Doubles semifinals
Paisley Hogue and Mikayla Hogue (Jamestown) vs. Lexi Rotaru and Amy Woo (Broad Run), 1 p.m.
Zabrielle Vasquez and Marina Le (Atlee) vs. Tovia Carothers and Helen Grace Sackett (E.C. Glass), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Huntington Park, Newport News
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 8 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.
CLASS 3
Team quarterfinals
Abingdon 5, Spotswood 2
Maggie Walker 5, Colonial Heights 0
Western Albemarle 5, Lord Botetourt 0
Meridian 5, Tabb 0
Team semifinals
Meridian 5, Abingdon 0
Maggie Walker 5, Western Albemarle 4
June 11
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Team championship
Maggie Walker 5, Meridian 0
June 12
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Singles semifinals
Sophia Kannarkat (York) vs. Roshini Sriram (Cave Spring), 9 a.m.
Mia Vuckovic (Meridian) vs. Blythe Sturman (Western Albemarle), 9 a.m.
Doubles semifinals
Sophia Shin and Ella Rivera (Tabb) vs. Roshini Sriram and Ishani Pinnamaran (Cave Spring), 1 p.m.
Ella Wiatt and Sunjana Finn (Maggie Walker) vs. Blythe Sturman and Grace Zhang (Western Albemarle), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 9 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
CLASS 2
Team quarterfinals
Radford 5, Lebanon 0
Ridgeview 5, Glenvar 0
Fort Defiance 5, Randolph-Henry 0
Bruton 5, Central (Woodstock) 3
Team semifinals
Ridgeview 5, Radford 4
Bruton 5, Fort Defiance 0
June 11
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Team championship
Ridgeview 5, Bruton 2
June 12
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Singles semifinals
Sabrina Sukman (Bruton) vs. Lydia Pratt (Radford), 9 a.m.
Caroline Eye (Central-Woodstock) vs. Danica Sutherland (Ridgeview), 9 a.m.
Doubles semifinals
Sabrina Sukman and Kailey Lustre (Bruton) vs. Lydia Pratt and Ellie Steele (Radford), 1 p.m.
Caroline Eye and Ava Kingree (Central-Woodstock) vs. Danica Sutherland and Adrienne Potter (Ridgeview), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 9 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
CLASS 1
June 5
Team quarterfinals
George Wythe 5, Eastside 0
Lancaster 5, Riverheads 2
Rappahannock 5, Buffalo Gap 0
Bland County 5, J.I. Burton 0
Team semifinals
Rappahannock 5, Lancaster 4
Bland County 5, George Wythe 1
June 11
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Team championship
Bland County 5, Rappahannock 1
June 12
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Singles semifinals
McKenzie Pittman (Lancaster) vs. Tinley Worley (Bland County), 9 a.m.
Lacey Cox (William Campbell) vs. Ava Stough (J.I. Burton), 9 a.m.
Doubles semifinals
McKenzie Pittman and Finley Major (Lancaster) vs. Tinley Worley and Addison Myers (Bland County), 1 p.m.
Lacey Cox and Maya Menzell (William Campbell) vs. Ava Stough and Megyn Duff (J.I. Burton), 1 p.m.
June 13
At Liberty Univ., Lynchburg
Singles championship
Semifinal winners, 9 a.m.
Doubles championship
Semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
