Girls tennis season will feature some pretty accomplished players in 2026.
Matches begin Aug. 20 in the regular season, with the Illinois High School Association postseason set to begin with sectionals from Oct. 16-17. The state finals are Oct. 22-24 at 12 different high school campuses across the Chicagoland area.
Here are the Peoria area’s seven players to know in 2026, listed in alphabetical order.
Bianca Cisel, Peoria Notre Dame
The sophomore made it to the Class 1A state finals as the fourth-ranked singles player at the Dunlap Sectional. She ended up in the third-place match after losing to eventual state runner-up Anna Yu of Dunlap in the sectional semifinals. Cisel went 2-2 at the state finals, playing in the third round of the consolation bracket.
Isabella Gusso and Katherine Brewer, Dunlap
The all-state doubles duo made a run to the fifth-place match in the Class 1A state finals, completing a 5-2 mark in the state finals.
Gusso, a senior, had a 42-8 overall doubles and singles record, while earning all-Mid-Illini Conference first-team honors.
Brewer, a sophomore, was an all-Mid-Illini second-team pick in helping Dunlap get eight points at state.
Chloe Kendall, Morton
The senior enters the season with 82 career singles and doubles varsity victories. Kendall was the third-place individual finisher at the Class 1A Metamora Sectional, winning her match in straight sets. Her state finals experience saw her go 2-2. She earned all-Mid-Illini Conference first-team honors.
Madelyn Monge, Peoria Notre Dame
The junior posted a 26-win season as a sophomore. She made the Class 1A Metamora Sectional third-place match after winning straight sets in the first two rounds. In the third-place match, Monge then lost to her teammate, Cisel, in straight sets. In the state finals, Monge went 1-2 and made the second round of the consolation bracket.
Faith Osterman, Morton
The junior will miss her doubles partner, Caela Myers, who graduated after being an all-Mid-Illini Conference first-team player last season. Osterman posted a combined 29 doubles and singles wins last season and was second team all-Mid-Illini. Osterman and Myers took third place in doubles at the Class 1A Metamora Sectional, advancing to the state finals and going 2-2.
Anna Yu, Dunlap
The two-time reigning Journal Star Player of the Year was the Class 1A state runner-up finisher last season. She finished with an overall record of 39-5 including a 5-1 mark at the state finals. She won the Mid-Illini Conference and sectional individual championships. Yu gets a new test during the 2026 campaign as Dunlap will play in the Class 2A postseason.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2026 Journal Star Fall Prep Preview | Peoria-area girls tennis players to watch
Reporting by Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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By Adam Duvall, Peoria Journal Star | USA TODAY Network
