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The Parry McCluer High School girls tennis team’s new coach is taking on her first head coaching job, but she has plenty of experience on the tennis court.
Alyssa Sewell, who replaces Ashlen Hazelwood, will coach the Fighting Blues this season, starting with a match today, Wednesday, at 4:30 p.m. against Rockbridge County at the Lexington Country Club courts.
Sewell, 23, played tennis all four years at Southern Virginia University, both singles and doubles, under the direction of head coach Deidra Dryden and assistant coach Tom Snelson. She was a captain as a junior and graduated from SVU in 2022. Before her time at SVU, Sewell played tennis for Granite Bay High School in northern California.
The Blues’ home courts will be familiar for Sewell because they use the SVU courts. Although Sewell hasn’t been a head coach before, she’s taught private lessons in the area and has helped out in children’s tennis camps in California. Excited to guide the Blues, Sewell said, “I’ve wanted to coach my whole life.”
The position wasn’t posted, but Sewell is a fourth grade teacher at Enderly Heights Elementary School and expressed interest in coaching after she heard the Blues were looking for a new coach because Hazelwood, a 2018 PM graduate who coached the Blues for one year, has a job that didn’t allow her to coach this year. After that, PM athletic director Mike Cartolaro reached out to Sewell.
“It just so happened that Alyssa had been hired by the school system,” said Cartolaro. “We were very fortunate. She’s very energetic and gung-ho.”
This season, Sewell said the Blues hope to defend their Pioneer District title, which they won last year by defeating Bath County 5-3 in the district finals.
Following the district championship last year, the Blues concluded the team portion of their season last year with a 5-0 loss to Galax in the Region 1C quarterfinals, finishing with a record of 6-3.
With four players returning and the loss of only one player, Sydney Cullen, to graduation, Sewell is optimistic about the team’s potential this season. “We really would love to go to states, but at least just be prepared heading into regions,” she said.
Leading the Blues this season are juniors Sadie Mays and Addisen Roberts, who teamed up to win the Pioneer District doubles title last year. Also returning are sophomores Olive King and Macy Shafer, while sophomores Piera Conner and Marley Convers are new to the team.
