There are a lot of new faces — and some familiar ones — taking the tennis courts for Glacier and Flathead in 2026.

The Braves and Bravettes see a plentiful group of underclassmen picking up the sport, while Glacier has only three boys returning. 

On the girls side for the Wolfpack, returners are all over the roster that only saw four girls exit the program. 

Both sides will see exactly what they have Friday as the season opens with a pair of duals against Helena and Helena Capital at FVCC. Matches are slated to start at 10:30 a.m. weather permitting. 

Glacier 

The plethora of depth returning to Glacier includes junior standout Leilani Lennarz, who worked her way to a sixth-place finish a season ago. 

“She has room to grow and goals for bigger things and can definitely compete with some of the rest,” Wolfpack coach Josh Munro said. 

Joining Lennarz in singles play is sophomore Autumn Bashara, who also made state last spring. 

“The girls are experienced and building a foundation off last year,” Munro said. 

In doubles, Miley Fritz returns to the No. 1 position as a senior. She is joined by fellow seniors Cadence and Cassidy Daniels — who return to the courts this season following knee injuries suffered in basketball season a year ago — and Quinn Berkram. 

Sophomore Reid Sanders also is back and expected to compete for state spots in a deep Wolfpack line up. 

As for the Glacier boys, Ethan Ronngren, Carson Stafford and Weston Heller make up the short list of returners. 

Ronngren and Stafford move from the No. 3 and 4 doubles spots up to No. 1, while Heller is slotting into the No. 2 singles position. 

The top singles spot is taken by transfer Colton Mantovani, who comes to Kalispell from Texas. 

Munro noted Mantovani stepped right into a leadership role with the squad and he is excited to see where he ends up. 

Flathead 

Across town, Flathead coach Kaitlyn Schelbert is ready to see her young group take the courts this season. 

A strong freshman class has the Braves and Bravettes filling out full varsity and JV squads. 

“We have a lot of excited freshmen who are picking it up quick,” Schelbert said. 

On the boys side, Schelbert mentions Kolbe Gehkiere as a leader who has stepped up over the offseason. 

Sunny Miller is one of the freshmen boys that Schelbert thinks can make an impact, saying he is picking up the sport quick. 

On the girls side, Courtney Preble is also quickly making herself known inside the team. 

“We are a young team, but lots of young players who are excited and we are hopeful for the season,” Schelbert said. 

As for state this season, home court advantage is on the menu as FVCC hosts both the Northern AA divisional and State tournaments in May. 

“We do have the best facility in the state and it isn’t close,” Munro said. We are appreciative of the city and college. It’s a long drive for everyone else, but they love to play at the venue.” 

“Everyone seems excited that it is up here,” Schelbert said. “We are happy to represent on our home turf.” 

Reporter Jon Allen can be reached at 406-758-4426 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.