Here's a look at the top girls tennis players to watch in Pueblo this season

Chris Abdelmalek, The Pueblo Chieftain
·4 min read
Pueblo Central’s Isabella Guzman hits a return off a serve in the final day No. 3 singles match of the Class 3A Region 7 girls tennis tournament at the Pueblo City Park tennis courts on Saturday, May 7, 2022.
Pueblo Central’s Isabella Guzman hits a return off a serve in the final day No. 3 singles match of the Class 3A Region 7 girls tennis tournament at the Pueblo City Park tennis courts on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Girls tennis season is underway in Colorado and there is a lot to look forward to from Pueblo schools and athletes this year.

Four local schools sent a combined 32 athletes to the state finals in 2022 and have retooled and reloaded for the 2023 season. Defending Class 4A Region 7 champion Pueblo West will seek to repeat, while Pueblo Central and sophomore standout Isabella Guzman will have their sights set on a Region 7 title in Class 3A.

Here are the top tennis players to watch from the Pueblo area this year.

More:Pueblo Central's Isabella Guzman highest place-finisher at state girls tennis tournaments

Class 3A

Pueblo Central

Pueblo Central’s Hannah Arellano hits a backhand return off a serve in the final day No. 4 doubles match of the Class 3A Region 7 girls tennis tournament at the Pueblo City Park tennis courts on Saturday, May 7, 2022.
Pueblo Central’s Hannah Arellano hits a backhand return off a serve in the final day No. 4 doubles match of the Class 3A Region 7 girls tennis tournament at the Pueblo City Park tennis courts on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

  • Isabella Guzman 

  • Hannah Arellano 

  • Marin Munoz 

Guzman played No. 3 singles as a freshman and is moving up to No. 1 singles this year. She finished fourth in the state in No. 3 singles last season and was Pueblo’s best performer at state, having reached the semifinals.

Arellano will move up from No. 4 doubles to No. 2 singles. Her skills have been a pleasant surprise to new head coach Dante Alcala and she currently is 3-0 through the early part of the season.

Another Central state qualifier moving from doubles to singles this year is Munoz. Her No. 1 doubles partner from last year graduated so she's moved up to compete in No. 3 singles. She should have a shot qualifying for state this year.

The girls are young and will need to gain experience as the season goes on, but Alcala said they're “ready for the challenge!”

Pueblo County

  • Megan Fields  

  • Anna Kleven  

Both Fields and Kleven have improved their game tremendously after spending last summer and the winter honing their skills, according to Pueblo County High girls tennis coach Leah Ann Tucker.

Fields is very quick, gets to every ball and places them with ease on the return. Kleven has a powerful stroke with great consistency. Both will likely be forces to reckon with this season.

Pueblo South

  • Elianna Highfill 

  • Nicole Abraham 

  • Sara Sanches 

The Colts are returning some starters with experience this year: Highfill, Abraham, and Sanches all played doubles last season but will be moving over to the singles side of competition.

Head coach Norman Vail is excited about the move.

“I am looking forward to how they adjust to playing singles this season,” Vail said. “I think by the end of the season, they will have improved a lot and be ready for regionals.”

Class 4A

Pueblo West

Pueblo West's Raeann Savage serves the ball eyes the ball in a No. 1 doubles match during the Class 4A Region 7 girls tennis tournament at the Pueblo City Park tennis courts on Saturday, May 7, 2022.
Pueblo West's Raeann Savage serves the ball eyes the ball in a No. 1 doubles match during the Class 4A Region 7 girls tennis tournament at the Pueblo City Park tennis courts on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

  • Gigi Bhagat 

  • Abbey Valdez 

  • Raeann Savage 

  • Ashely Schlup/Oliva Day 

Bhagat, a sophomore, moves into the No. 1 singles spot this year. She’s athletic and moves well, plays with an even temper and keeps her composure under pressure, according to head coach Sam Pisciotta.

Valdez is a freshman who is joining the Cyclones at the No. 2 singles position. She is eager, very coachable, and comes to the team with solid tennis skills.

Savage is a senior on the team who will play No. 3 singles after moving up from No. 1 doubles last season. She is a top athlete and uses her size and intelligence to get her through tough matches, Pisciotta said.

Also worth keeping an eye on for Pueblo West this year are Schlup and Day, who'll compete in No. 1 doubles. Schlup is aggressive on the net and has developed strong tennis skills over the course of her high school career.

Pueblo Centennial

Pueblo Centennial's Ambrea Pena returns a serve in a No. 2 doubles match during the Class 4A Region 7 girls tennis tournament at the Pueblo City Park tennis courts on Saturday, May 7, 2022.
Pueblo Centennial's Ambrea Pena returns a serve in a No. 2 doubles match during the Class 4A Region 7 girls tennis tournament at the Pueblo City Park tennis courts on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

  • Camrym Vigil 

  • Quincy Nakaguma  

  • Ambrea Pena 

Vigil is a senior and the No. 1 singles player on the team, though Nakaguma, a sophomore, is not far behind competing in No. 2 singles.

Rounding out the singles competitors for the Bulldogs is Pena, a senior who will start the season as the No. 3 singles player. The Region 7 runners-up in Class 4A, Centennial sent nine players to the state finals last year and will look to duplicate that success this season.

Pueblo East

Pueblo East's Alana Duran eyes the ball on a return in a No. 2 singles match during the Class 4A Region 7 girls tennis tournament at the Pueblo City Park tennis courts on Saturday, May 7, 2022.
Pueblo East's Alana Duran eyes the ball on a return in a No. 2 singles match during the Class 4A Region 7 girls tennis tournament at the Pueblo City Park tennis courts on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

  • Skylar Clark  

  • Alana Duran 

  • Ava Andrada 

Clark and Duran are both seniors and played No. 1 and No. 2 singles last year. Duran ended up getting double-digit wins for the Eagles as the No. 2 singles player, which was the most of any player on the team.

Andrada is an incoming freshman for whom Bradley Gerler, head coach of the Eagles, has sky-high hopes. She is a four-sport athlete at East and really shined at summer tennis practices. Expect Clark, Duran and Andrada to all compete for the No. 1 singles spot this year.

“The three of them are very evenly matched,” Gerler said. “Any one of them could end up at No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3. I think that is a good problem to have.”

Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter: @chowebacca

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's top girls tennis players to watch during the 2023 season