United effort propels Panthers to 14-0 record entering final week of regular season
South Medford hasn’t seen anything like this in girls tennis, and the Panthers are relishing every moment this spring.
Success has certainly been part of the program’s history, but nothing like they’re currently enjoying after moving their record to 14-0 with Wednesday’s Southwest Conference sweep of North Medford on the Panthers’ home courts.
“It’s insanely different this year,” said South Medford head coach Jay Rapp of the surrounding vibe. “You can feel the energy with our crowd, with the parents, with the friends and the support. We’re bringing more people to matches than I’ve ever seen in high school tennis. There’s a definite energy this year, and that’s part of what’s fueling these girls and just helping them keep pushing on.”
Another chief aspect, beyond simply the Panthers’ overall talent level, has been the camaraderie among the undefeated squad.
“Honestly, I think the secret to all of our success is just having wonderful support from our team,” said South Medford freshman Olivia Uschold, who has split duties at No. 1 and No. 2 singles this season. “I think our team is so supportive and kind this year, and we’re all there for each other and backing each other up. The team atmosphere is building us up.”
To be sure, Rapp and company had an inkling even before the season started that this was going to be a good spring for South Medford.
The team returned one of the state’s top singles players in junior Alexis Uschold, who placed fourth at state as a freshman and has reached the quarterfinals in each of her two appearances at the final site.
The Panthers also were bringing promising freshmen into the fold in the younger Uschold and Tess Moser, and Rapp felt good about the versatility and capable depth in the upperclassmen.
“Jay has been hyping it up for such a long time since before the season,” said Moser of the Panthers’ promise. “He’s just been like, ‘We’re going to be so amazing,’ so it’s not as hard to get into that mindset since he’s been working us into it already. But it’s been so fun, it’s really great. We’ve just got to keep it going.”
Following the 8-0 victory over the Black Tornado, South Medford will wrap up its SWC season at home again at 4 p.m. Monday against South Eugene. The Panthers then face St. Mary’s, which earned a 4A/3A/2A/1A state championship a year ago, at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Fichtner-Mainwaring Park.
The regular season for South Medford concludes next Saturday in the first Carr Classic, hosted by North Medford and founded to honor the lives of Dale and Patsy Carr. The Panthers, Black Tornado and Crusaders will be in action.
“I think it would mean a lot,” Rapp said of sweeping the coming week’s matches. “These girls are focused, but they know we’re only going after the match in front of us. That’s all that matters is what happens today, but, make no mistake, it would be very important to them. They know what’s going on, there’s no secret.”
Olivia Uschold’s smile broadened when asked about that prospect.
“To finish without a loss would be amazing,” said the 15-year-old standout. “That’s definitely my goal, and I would be really proud of myself and my team if we were able to accomplish that.”
Moser agreed, and took the future prospects to another level for a group hungry for a state trophy. The Panthers tied for fourth place in 2016 and tied for third in 1996 — creating an interesting trend for potential in this 2026 campaign.
“For the most part, it’s been one day at a time,” she said of South Medford’s mindset, “but overall, of course, we all want to go to state and get super far in the competition, so that’s our ultimate goal.”
To even get this far unscathed has been a testament to the team’s unity this spring, according to Rapp.
“I feel like they’re really playing for each other more than they ever have,” said the coach. “Everybody understands their role and understands how important to the team their spot is. They just don’t want to let each other down, so they just keep fighting and working hard all year, and are doing a great job.”
The most intriguing aspect is how varied the Panthers’ lineup has been through it all.
Alexis Uschold has split time with the team — posting a 7-1 record at No. 1 singles — and in her personal pursuits to climb the USTA 18-and-over rankings. She was held out against North Medford so she could continue a ramp-up in training in preparation for this weekend’s USTA National Level 3 Tournament in Tucson, Arizona.
“That’s one thing I love about Lex, is that she understands team tennis, and this team is important to her,” said Rapp. “She knows the leader role that she has on this team, so it is important to her to play.”
Having such a resource to pull out of your backpocket against top-tier opponents has been a great tool for the Panthers, allowing for younger players to gain valuable experience at higher levels in her absence while infusing confidence when available with a bolstered lineup from the top on down.
“Lexi’s an asset to any team, in not only her tennis but just as the leader she is and as the student she is,” said Rapp. “They all kind of see her work and look up to her and really put her on this pedestal and fight for her, it’s great.”
When tasked, Olivia Uschold has filled that No. 1 spot “famously,” according to Rapp, and improved to 13-1 with Wednesday’s 6-0, 6-1 win over North Medford’s Chloe Olivier.
“It definitely puts a bit of a target on your back if you’re the freshman and you’re coming in there,” she said of No. 1 singles, “but it’s been a lot of fun. The girls have been playing really nice and I’ve been getting a lot of good matches, and my team’s there to support me so it’s been really fun.”
Moser has toggled between the Nos. 2-3 spots and moved to 14-0 with a 6-1, 6-0 win over the Black Tornado’s Steelie Smith.
Sophomore Valentina Soto has been next in the pecking order and just as dominant, not losing a game in her match with Lizzie Belski on Wednesday to boost her record to 13-1.
That so many younger players have filled the top singles roles has been of no thought for the older Panthers, who only want the best lineups possible to be on the court and have made it a point to celebrate their younger teammates.
“Everybody is just so welcoming and everybody just loves everyone,” said the 15-year-old Moser. “We all talk to each other, and no one really cares about the age difference or anything.”
That universal camaraderie also comes in handy when it comes to filling out the lineup for Rapp, who has leaned on junior Gabby Spence and sophomore Cailin Grady in the No. 4 singles role when not heading up a versatile collection of doubles players that includes juniors Edith Israelsen and Taizi Whitney and seniors Camden Allen, Birkley Maddox, Cameron Weiland, Julia Hansen and Izzy Brooksby.
The Panthers haven’t used the same doubles combination in any of their matches over the past week against North Medford, Grants Pass or Sheldon.
“It’s really how I prefer to operate,” said Rapp. “I like well-rounded tennis players, so we want to try and get them to learn every aspect of this game. That’s a pretty easy way to do it by changing partners all the time or switching from dubs to singles, because it’s a whole different world. They just get to kind of learn and trust the process.”
It’s all about matchups when it comes to doubles for South Medford.
“I’m kind of blessed with my doubles in the fact that I have four teams that can all beat each other on any given day,” said Rapp. “It’s partly why we try to mix things around and find certain matchups. The matchup of who we’re playing may determine what two I put together. We don’t have anybody that’s a crazy standout like a Hayden Kearney and Alyssa Piquette from Sheldon, but we have four solid teams that can contend on any given day.”
The team’s overall depth is what has Rapp most excited moving forward, along with the fact that they’ve been recognized with the highest GPA at the 6A level over the past two seasons.
“We’re solid top to bottom, and I think we’re deeper than the vast majority of the teams in the state,” he said. “Obviously, you don’t really know until you get up to the (state) tournament, but I feel like we are one of the deepest teams and one of the stronger teams in the state.”
“And not only do we have great athletes, but we have incredibly good students, which is No. 1 here at our program,” he added. “That’s what we push first.”
SOUTH MEDFORD 8, NORTH MEDFORD 0
SINGLES: Olivia Uschold, SM, d. Chloe Olivier, 6-0, 6-1; Tess Moser, SM, d. Steelie Smith, 6-1, 6-0; Valentina Soto, SM, d. Lizzie Belski, 6-0, 6-0; Gabby Spence, SM, d. Piper Cohee, 6-0, 6-1
DOUBLES: Cailin Grady-Edith Israelsen, SM, d. Nayeli Castillo-Keira Miller, 6-2, 6-3; Camden Allen-Birkley Maddox, SM, d. Michelle Bui-Riley Wallace, 6-1, 6-1; Cameron Weiland-Julia Hansen, SM, d. Braelyn Norris-Natalie Penner, 6-0, 6-0; Taizi Whitney-Izzy Brooksby, SM, d. Chloe Bell-Nicole Hirtle, 6-0, 6-0
Reach sports editor Kris Henry at kris.henry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035