After the best season in school history last spring, the Lincoln Christian girls tennis program is showing no signs of slowing down, as the Bulldogs prepare to start the 2026 season next week.

Lincoln was 6th as a team at state last year and had three state medalist, as well as finishing as academic state champions.

And with three of the six starters back, expectations are very high, once again.

Seniors Karlie Jones and Grace Wheeler, along with junior Lillly Brisco, all return from excellent seasons in 2025, hoping to accomplish even more this spring. 

Jones is a returning state medalist in doubles from last year. She has 41 career wins and will have a chance to break the career record of 60 wins at Lincoln in 2026.

Wheeler is entering year three as a starter for Lincoln and has 26 wins, while Brisco was a No. 1 singles state qualifier a year ago and has 29 career wins.

Head coach Ty Barrett also highlighted one more senior, Mia Mattson, who missed her junior season after transferring over from Broken Arrow.

"Mia joined our program last year, but had to play JV due to transfer rules," Barrett said. "She brings in a ton of experience and succes. She was a 2-time 6A state qualifier at BA before she came to Lincoln."

The head coach is excited about the experience his team has heading into this season, even with the loss of multiple state medalists.

"Really, we have a lot of experience and should be primed to have a terrific season," said Barrett. "It is going to be a different year because we lost a couple of medalists but with someone like Mia and our next group of girls, I feel we definitely have the most talented team that this program has had."

The remaining two spots have made for great competition in the offseason, according to Barrett.

There have been six girls competing for the final two spots, which has pushed each one to improve and make Barrett's decision even more difficult.

"With four spots being really solidified, we have had an ongoing competition all school year really to see who steps up and fills the last couple of spots for us," he said. "A great testament to them all is that they have made this an incredibly hard decision, because they all compete, work hard and are continuously getting better."

Senior Baylee Postier, along with juniors Olivia Nation and Addison Law have been upperclassmen in the mix.

"Baylee has been someone that has worked really hard, shown a lot of improvement and been a leader on our team throughout the year," Barrett said. "Olivia and Addison have both stepped up and taken their games to new heights as well."

Three underclassmen have also been in competition for playing time, as sophomore Emery Johnson and freshmen Isla Oakes and Harper Reimer have all impressed the head coach.

"Emery has also become a much stronger player and worked her way into the mix," Barrett said. "We also have two freshmen who have been terrific for us in Isla and Harper. They have both been a part of our upstart junior high program the last couple of years and have really gotten into and been committed to the sport."

That level of competition will get tested right out of the gate, as Lincoln opens play next week in Oklahoma City at the Rother Cup. That, plus a mix of early season tests will prepare Lincoln well for what matters in May.

"Early in the season we start off with probably our toughest tournament of the year, the Rother Cup," Barrett said. "It features several of the top 5A schools and some of the other top 4A schools as well, so you get three very high-quality matches right out of the gate. I also love it because it is at the OKC Tennis Center, so it gives us an opportunity to experience that place in a normal way, before we get back there with all the noise and excitement in May."

"We go to Claremore the next week for a tournament as well. We are just trying to get some experience and feel out the season a little bit before we get to spring break. It will give us a good look at who are top six should be and try to find what all positions and lineups might work best for us."

While the Bulldogs will be busy, Barrett hopes the group will focus on "Embracing the Journey," as that's what the program will be centered on this spring.

"Our theme this year is 'Embrace the Journey,'" Barrett said. "We are going to have a busy season, hopefully playing 30-40 matches throughout for our varsity kids. Tennis is full of long matches, and all kinds of wins and losses along the way. So it can be bit mentally draining at times, but we are building a culture of perseverance and joy through it all."

"Our guiding verse for the season James 1:2–4. We believe trials build perseverance, and perseverance leads to growth. On and off the court, we're learning to value the process as much as the results, trusting in God to shape us along the way.

Heading into Barrett's third year at the helm, the Bulldogs sit in a great spot, as momentum continues to build, channeling even bigger expectations in the coming months.

"I some pretty high hopes for what we are able to accomplish this year," he said. "I think we can be one of the top few teams in our classification, not just at a position or two, but really across all positions. As I kind of mentioned earlier, we have some depth, having about 10 players that could really compete at the varsity level. That depth has helped make us tougher across the board."

After a very successful season in 2025 that put Lincoln on the radar, Barrett and his group are here to stay and focused on even more in 2026.

"This program really sits in a great spot at the moment," he said. "We are one of the teams that got on a lot of people's radars based on how strong we finished the season and the success we had at state."

"We are ready to take that next step. We want to get everyone on the podium and push for a team trophy as well."




Photos by Lee Talley