The 2026 Boothbay Region High School girls tennis season has begun without a couple of familiar and successful faces.

Alex Arsenault, who coached the Seahawk team for 15 years and led the team to several playoffs, decided to retire, and the most successful girls tennis player in the history of the BRHS sport, Laura Chapman (undefeated in conference play for four seasons and one of the top players in the state) graduated in 2025.

Taking over the coaching duties is Ellen Williams, a familiar face on the Juniper Point tennis courts in Boothbay Harbor for several years as she “summered here growing up.” She moved here permanently from Denver, Colorado in 2023. She grew up in Oklahoma.

Williams, a top tennis player in junior high and high school and at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, said she continued to play after college in several leagues and tournaments, gave lessons on public courts, and coached high school tennis for three seasons.

“I am glad to be able to return to coaching, said Williams. She said she learned of the BRHS coaching job from BRHS cheerleading coach Michele Ripley, whose two daughters, Maddie and Izzy, play on the team.

Williams inherits a roster of some veterans and a few newcomers, 11 total.

Veterans include Hannah Kreft, Maddie Andreasen Abby Orchard, Izzy Andreasen, Addie Barter, Olivia Hardwick and newcomers are Sarah Harris, Frida Kirchhauser, Maya Rhys-Jacobs, Ava Barter and Arabella Hodgdon.

The Seahawks scrimmaged Medomak Valley at home on April 14 and “won some matches,” said Williams.

The team gained another week off for practices when a schedule change pushed their opening match to Friday, April 24 at home against Mountain Valley at 4 p.m.