After ending last season with three state competitors, the womens varsity and junior varsity (JV) tennis teams will be led under new coaches. Robert Shevlin coached the team last year but will be replaced by Dr. Ryan Jordan, psychology teacher, and Megan Mandel, science teacher. 

Before accepting the varsity head coach position, Mandel played tennis in high school for Lakeridge High School and during her free time in college. Since then, she has participated in the tennis program available at Stafford Hills Club in Tualatin. 

“My family all plays tennis as well, so it’s a fun thing for us to do all together,” Mandel said. “I think for me tennis is a great sport that you can get into after college and later in life as you realize you want to have more extracurriculars.”

Prior to teaching at West Linn, Mandel taught at two other schools, including South Salem High School. During her time there, she was momentarily the JV coach for the womens team, but their season was cut short when COVID-19 canceled all sports. 

“I’ve always had my eye on the tennis program since I came to West Linn, thinking that would be a great next step,” Mandel said. “Everyone has told me that the tennis girls and athletes are really awesome and kind people, and I’ve experienced that so far. We have some really strong talent based on what I’ve seen at practice.”

Practices for varsity start after school and go until 4:30 p.m. JV starts after them and goes until around 6 p.m. The teams practice Monday through Friday. Before districts and state, the team will compete in 12 matches, six of which are at home.

“I think as for a teacher, we really love those opportunities to see students outside of the classroom because it gives us a new perspective on their lives and can allow us to get away from, as some might consider, more boring stuff in the classroom,” Mandel said. “Here, we can connect on something we are both passionate about.”

Last year, the team had 16 athletes competing in both singles and doubles matches. Sonya Drayton, junior, was first team for singles, Ella Owen and Sofia Johnson, 2024 alum, were first team for doubles, and Rhea Sukamar and Sydney Burch, juniors, as well as Emma Huberty, senior, received honorable mentions in their respective categories.

“I want to focus on building a community because, with tennis, that can sometimes be harder as opposed to other sports because you’re not playing as a team actively in the match unless you’re playing doubles,” Mandel said. “I want to make an experience that is even better than the one I had when I was in high school. We want to push each athlete to their best and develop a program where the JV squad also feels connected to our entire program.”

Similar to Mandel, Jordan was on the varsity team in high school and grew up in a family familiar with the sport. His father taught introductory tennis at Oklahoma State University, and Jordan unofficially assumed the role of assistant coach.

“[Tennis] is just a lot of fun,” Jordan said. “I’m a teacher because I love interacting with students, plus I have a background in tennis, so when the opportunity was presented, I jumped at it.”

Jordan applied for a tennis coaching position at the high school a few times in earlier years but was not accepted until now. Aside from becoming the new JV tennis coach for the womens team, he plays a leadership role in unified soccer and basketball.

“As the JV coach, I really feel the focus is on skill development so people in future years can jump up into varsity,” Jordan said. “And again, it’s always imparting a love of the sport. We’re going to focus on enjoying the game but also developing skills and start with the fundamentals.” 

Last year, the team had team bonding experiences and traditions, such as putting together a brunch and wearing coordinated outfits on match days. Although no announcements have been made this year so far, the team is expected to continue the activities.

“We’re going to make everything really fun,” Jordan said. “If you don’t like what you’re doing, why even bother? We are a team and teammates need to encourage each other and have each other’s backs and cheer them on. This is a community just like anything else at school and I want to make sure everyone feels connected, respected, and supported every step of the way.”

Their first match will be on March 31 against St. Mary’s Academy. Their senior night will be on May 5 during their fourth match against Tigard High School. For more information on the program, visit their Instagram page (@wlhsgirlstennis) or contact Mandel (mandelm1@wlhs.k12.or.us).