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With a little over a week left in the regular season for the Flagstaff girls tennis team, the Eagles are striving for a farther playoff push than in previous years.

In 2024, the team made it to the quarterfinals as the No. 4 seed before falling to fifth-seeded Canyon del Oro in Flagstaff. Flagstaff's Annika and Autumn Didovic also played in the singles championship bracket last year, and Ana Drinen and Kaitlyn Barr were in the doubles bracket together. All four girls lost in the first round of their respective brackets.

This year, they are working toward a different outcome.

The Division II Eagles are currently ranked ninth and are first in the Section Two standings with a 7-0 mark. They have not lost a match since March 1 against Canyon del Oro.

They have four more matches until the end of the regular season. If the Eagles can push their ranking to eighth or better, they will host in the first round on April 29.

Since Steve Boadway became the head coach for girls tennis, he said he has pushed the team to its fullest potential.

This year is no exception. 

“Flagstaff tends to be that elite kind of team and that’s what I want,� Boadway said. “That’s what I signed up for when I got here.�

Currently, both Flagstaff and Prescott are tied for first in the section with a record of 7-0. Meanwhile, Horizon sits at 6-1, and has two regular-season section matches remaining, including at Flagstaff on Tuesday.

“You play one match, one point, whatever you want to call it, at a time,� Boadway said. “You can’t overlook anybody. You can’t look up until Thursday with Prescott or next week with Horizon, you can’t do that. You have to do what you have to do.�

Although Boadway said the entire team has remained competitive and strong all season, there were some players who stood out among their peers. Sisters Annika and Autumn Didovic were in the playoffs last year and were voted on to appear again this year in the singles championship bracket.

Annika is typically No. 3 on the singles court and Autumn switches on the No. 1 court with Drinen. Autumn has an overall record of 16-4 this year so far. Annika has a record of 16-2 and has not lost a match since Feb. 27.

“I think I’ve really pulled it together this year,� Annika Didovic said. “I think I’m more strong and levelheaded, and I feel like I can really come together and stay focused throughout the entire match.�

Drinen and Barr on the doubles court are another pair that Boadway said has improved dramatically.

“We didn't do great last year. We were kind of in our heads,� Drinen said. "That's been one nice thing about this year is that we aren't in our heads as much, and we've gotten a lot better mentally with staying positive."

Drinen and Barr have won every match they have played this year, except for the first two. They appeared in the doubles bracket of the 2024 championship and lost in the opening round. Barr said she hopes to go deeper and break a record before graduating in May.

“We want to be recognized as a team that can play tennis,� Boadway said. “So this is really important for all of us, not just for me, and I think they have jumped on board with the philosophy.�

Training for the season starts early, and the girls credited the jumpstart to their success. Boadway has optional training and conditioning sessions starting in late August to early September. He focuses on strength and endurance to get the girls ready for long matches when the season begins in the spring.

“It definitely helps, especially later in matches or when you have a really long match that tends to be important, it really helps,� Drinen said. “It lets you keep your technique longer and adds some stamina.�

While their opponents are breathing heavily and losing strength early on, Drinen said she and the Eagles are able to keep their momentum throughout the entire match -- which has helped them win more games this season.

In addition, the girls take it upon themselves to continue training in their free time. For example, Annika and Autumn Didovic play scrimmage matches together seven days a week leading up to the playoffs. She said the competition pushes her and her sister to be even better for their team.

“She’s my biggest ally and competition at the same time,� Didovic said. “We keep pushing each other to get better, and there’s never any friction. It just helps motivate us.�