BIDDEFORD — The Biddeford girls tennis team saw its season end in heart-breaking fashion last year, as the Tigers lost to McAuley 3-2 in the Western Maine prelims. It was the same exit as the year before, when the Tigers lost to Sanford by a 3-2 score.

The Tigers return a large nucleus of players from those teams, and hope that this year, things are different.

“Since we’ve gone to playoffs for the past two years, I think that it’s definitely time to take the next step,” said Biddeford senior co-captain Autumn Carey. “You need to improve yourself, and better yourself, and I’m hoping that this year we can do that.”

The Tigers lost their top two singles players from last year to graduation, but return the rest of their varsity squad, which consists mostly of seniors. It’s a battle-tested group that has no shortage of hunger to go further in the playoffs.

“I think they’re going to want to go as far as they possibly can,” said Biddeford head coach Teri Schang. “They’ve worked really hard to get where they are.”

The top two singles spots will be filled this year by senior co-captains Michelle Cote (last year’s No. 3 singles player) and Carey, who played doubles last year.

“They need to get comfortable in their new positions,” said Schang. “I think they’re very ready. I think they are excited.”

The two form a dynamic duo as the lead players for Biddeford, as Cote is a confident, focused player perfectly suited for the No. 1 role, while Carey is an always positive, enthusiastic – but still talented – role model for the rest of the team.

They are, however, just two players that make up a sum of the whole team.

“Even though it can seem like an individual sport, you still have to win as a team,” said Schang.

It’s the team aspect that the Tigers have had no trouble grasping in the preseason.

“We’ve been together for four years, and we all know each other. We’re all pretty much a family,” said Cote. “That’s how it should be on a team.”

“It’s kind of like a nice, little group. It is tight-knit,” said Carey. “And it is like a tennis family.”

Schang said the fact that the players have been together for four years both on the court and in school, they share a “bond” that keeps them together when matches start to go against them.

It’s an experience the group has gone through in short playoff runs the past two seasons, but Schang said it has made them stronger.

“I think any loss like 2-3, regardless of whether it’s playoffs or throughout the season, is always a mental challenge,” said Schang. “Of course any situation, regular year or playoffs, makes them stronger, because they catch those mistakes a little bit sooner.”

Biddeford will get tested early on, as the Tigers open up the season against Western Maine runner-up Scarborough. It’s a match that the Tigers say they are eager to play.

“It’s a good opening match, just because if we play against a hard team, it’ll make us want to go harder the next time,” said Cote, who also said she is confident that her team can win the match.

After facing the Red Storm, the Tigers then host McAuley in their home opener. Cote simply replied “yes” when asked if there was some revenge on her mind for how last season ended.

Schang said the team will try to navigate a difficult schedule this year, and that returning to the playoffs is no sure thing. But she also knows that her team has the talent and motivation to do more than just make the playoffs.

Cote said that they are “pretty ready” to go further than another first round exit.

“We know our mistakes. We know how to make it better, and we’re just going to work on those mistakes and make sure hopefully it doesn’t happen this year,” she said. “We’re ready to take that step, and hopefully get onto the next round.

“I definitely think that we have the talent to go pretty far. I’m really hoping.”

— Staff Writer Wil Kramlich can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 323 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @WilTalkSports.