Caldwell County’s Belle Englebright and Chasie Phelps look to defend their Second Region tennis titles Monday, while Henderson County’s Jon Nunez looks to return as the boys’ champion after finishing runner-up twice.
Nunez, who signed with Midway College last week, won the boys’ title as a freshman but lost to Caldwell County’s Ben Knight the past two years. The Henderson County senior comes into the region tourney as the top seed.
Madisonville’s Kyle Hart, who won a doubles’ title last year, is the No. 2 seed and will play Hopkinsville’s Kanta Hakamata in the opening round.
Henderson County’s Deegan Lawrence, who advanced to the championship match in 2016, is the No. 3 seed, while Webster County’s Vincent Major is the No. 4 seed.
In doubles play, Madisonville’s Tanner Ray has a new partner in Seth Daniel as he looks to win the doubles’ title a second straight year as the top seed. The duo Ray beat last year, University Heights’ Brady Bilyeu and Dylan Edmonson, are the No. 2 seed.
Madisonville’s Nathaniel Crick and Luke McElroy are the No. 3 seed, and Henderson County’s Bryce Dohm and Hayden Sauer, who lost in the first round last year, are the No. 4 seed.
The boys’ opening night will be played at Henderson County High School Monday night before moving to the Water Street Courts downtown for the semifinals and finals Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Englebright will look to win her fourth straight region title when the girls’ tournament begins Monday at the Water Street Courts. The Caldwell County junior won a doubles titles as an eighth grader and has won the individual title the past two years.
Hopkinsville’s Riley Fort, who lost to Englebright in the semifinals last year, is the No. 2 seed, while her teammate Anna Maddux is the No. 4 seed. Madisonville’s Kendall Warren is the No. 3 seed.
In doubles’ division, Caldwell County’s Chasie Phelps has a new partner as she looks for her fourth straight region title. After teaming with Englebright to win three years ago, Phelps won two straight with Hana Dixon as her partner. Dixon moved in the offseason, and Maddie Morgan, who finished as the region runner-up to Englebright in singles last year, steps in as Phelps’ partner on the doubles’ side with the No. 1 seed.
Hopkinsville’s Ella Lester and Allie Fort, who lost in the quarterfinals last year, are the No. 2 seed. Henderson County’s Kally Priest and Isabelle Wright are the No. 3 seed, while Hopkinsville’s Skylar Ray and Sophie Maddux, who advanced to the semifinals last year, are the No. 4 seed.
The girls will play both the Monday first round and Tuesday’s semifinals and finals at the Water Street Courts in Henderson.