Experience is likely to play a big part in the Boothbay Region High School’s girls tennis team’s success this season. The Seahawks have four returning players from last year’s line-up which qualified for the Class C South quarterfinals.

The Seahawks have last year’s top two singles players returning. Senior Mackenzie Colby played first singles last year and Angela Machon played second. Colby has missed spring practice due to her participation in a class trip to Germany. Machon, a senior, has been in the Seahawk line-up for the past three seasons.

Coach Alex Arsenault isn’t ready to declare a No. 1 singles player for this season.

“I need to wait and see how Mackenzie is playing when she returns,” he said. “Both are experienced players so the two will likely play each other to see who is the top player.”

Third singles is likely to be a member of last year’s top doubles team, Emma Rideout and Maddy Gaudette. Arsenault expects both players to make a major contribution this season as either a singles or doubles player.

“Last year was both players’ first year in the line-up and by the season’s end they both really got it. They should continue to improve this year,” Arsenault said.

Either Rideout, a junior, or Gaudette, a sophomore, will likely partner with Lovely Uberita, a sophomore, for the No. 1 doubles team. This is Uberita’s first season on the team. ”She’s gotten really good really fast,” Arsenault said. “She works hard. She’s fast and gets to every ball.”

Arsenault has four players vying for the No. 2 doubles spot. Sophomore Eve Dolloff played some No. 3 singles matches last season and saw action playing doubles.

“She is pretty consistent with her ground strokes and is one of the most determined players on the team,” Arsenault said. Dolloff has also missed spring practice due to the class trip to Germany.

Sophomore Kayla Lewis, junior Annie Bryer and senior Teisha Gilliam are also competing for a spot in the line-up.

The Seahawks finished 7-5 in Mountain Valley Conference play last season and lost to Saint Dominic’s of Auburn in the Class C Western quarterfinals. Arsenault believes his experienced squad should either equal or better last year’s result.

The Seahawks begin their season Wednesday, April 27 hosting Wiscasset.