Hailey DeGroff | The Chronicle
After winning the OHSAA State Championship last October, the Mason High School (MHS) Girls Varsity Tennis team enters the 2025 fall season with one goal: to defend the title. With a strong returning lineup and consistent work ethic, expectations are high.
The program has established itself as a powerhouse, capturing 10 consecutive Greater Miami Conference (GMC) titles and producing multiple individual state champions in both singles and doubles. Juniors Pratyusha Chaudhuri and Emma Wagner have earned back-to-back Division I doubles titles, while senior Addison Cassidy returns as the reigning singles state champion and a 2023 state qualifier.
One of the biggest challenges in maintaining a championship-winning team in any high school sport is longevity. As seniors graduate, team dynamics and rosters are affected as a result. For teams with senior-dominated rosters, rebuilding is a long process. Junior Emma Wagner, a star player on the team, has been playing tennis since she was five years old. Wagner is confident in the team’s ability to continue to play at a championship-winning level.
“We did not lose anybody on our starting lineup from last year, so our team is honestly just getting better,” Wagner said.
While a roster may only last for one season, the relationships and connections built are for a lifetime. While individual players like Wagner are eager as they look toward the current season, the team’s continued success relies on its ability to remain unified. Wagner finds that the bonds she has created on the court are nothing like those she has had before.
Pratyusha Chaudhuri (left) and Emma Wagner (right) celebrate during their doubles match on Thursday, September 11th.
“All of these girls are talented, but the program is so much more than winning,” Wagner said. “It’s about bonds, and that means a lot to me. I’ve worn green and white since kindergarten, so it definitely feels like [my second] family.”
Sophomore Vannayi Podili has been playing tennis competitively for eight years, but she knows that Mason tennis is more than just a team ‒ it’s a home, a place where everyone is valued. While players like Podili play a physical role in the team’s achievements, a large factor in their continued success is their strong line of coaches, led by head coach Mike Reid. Under Reid, Mason tennis has gone 89‑0 in conference play since 2015 and compiled a 183‑9 regular-season record over that span. He has also guided the program to multiple state championships, including the boys’ 2018 Ohio Tennis Coaches Association (OTCA) Division I state title and three consecutive postseason state titles for the girls in singles or doubles.
“He pushes everybody on the team to be their best and encourages us to put our all out [on the court],” Podili said.“But he also wants everybody to stay humble and show our utmost respect to our opponents and teammates.”
With eight straight state titles behind them, the pressure on the champions is heavier than ever. For senior Addison Cassidy, who has played tennis for 12 years, that pressure is nothing new.. As the 2024 Division I singles state champion, Cassidy knows she has what it takes to keep her spot at the top. But even after continued success, constant pressure to be at the top requires intense motivation.
“We’ve won the last 8 years in a row,” Cassidy said. “The dream is to get to 9. [We just have to] keep pushing, and we’ll get 1 more.”
Cassidy is determined to close out her career in green and white with one more championship. Now leading a younger squad, her experience and passion will be crucial to their success. With winning comes immense pressure: is the harder task reaching the top, or staying there? For Cassidy, the answer is clear. The true challenge lies in maintaining dominance.
“You have to maintain such a high level [of play] all the time,” Cassidy said. “You have to have the discipline to push yourself every single day the same amount. No matter how everyone feels, they put their best out on the court, no matter what.”
As the MHS Girls Varsity Green Tennis team approaches another promising season, its focus is not only to defend its titles but also to maintain the family aspect of the team. Whether it is chasing a ninth consecutive state championship or simply putting their all out in practice, these girls will do whatever it takes to stay on top.
