All-District Returners

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• Mackenzie Cook (above), Modesto: After playing in the shadows of two-time Bee Player of the Year Katie Eng, this junior steps into the most prominent role in the district's top program. Cook was dominant as the Panthers' No. 2 singles player last fall, but going to the top of the ladder means a step up in competition this season.

• McKenzy Harden, Ceres: She's been nothing short of outstanding in two seasons with the Bulldogs. She was 33-0 in the regular season and the MVP of the Valley Oak League last fall, advancing to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II quarterfinals before losing to the eventual champ.

• Synclair Waldron and Katelynn Forney, Modesto: They won the conference doubles title last season, but it's rare for teams to stay intact more than one year -- they typically move into the singles ladder as players graduate. Waldron is a sophomore, and Forney is a senior -- and they form a potent returning trio with Cook.

Modesto Bee - Modesto High School tennis player Mackenzie Cook returns the ball against Taylor Osborne of Pleasant Grove High School.

• Monica Duarte and Lauren Lavelle, Turlock: The two talented singles players teamed up to go 11-0 during Central California Conference play and lost only two sets in 20 regular-season matches. They were among the 19 underclassmen who helped the Bulldogs to the CCC title a year ago.

SERVE AND VOLLEY

• Life after Katie Eng: The Modesto star was The Bee's two-time Player of the Year, but she graduated in the spring. So who steps into the role this fall? The logical candidates are Modesto's Mackenzie Cook and Ceres' McKenzy Harden -- who have played doubles together during Northern California junior tournaments.

• New top 'Dog at Turlock: Verek Visaraga built a powerhouse during his time at Turlock, winning two titles and taking three trips to the playoffs the last four seasons, but he's now coaching at Cal State Stanislaus. Juan Alaniz replaces him, knowing full well the high expectations that await.

• Team titles are tough: Sacramento-area schools are dominating the section team tournament and there's no reason to believe it won't continue this fall. The district's last Division I team to win the title was Davis High in 1981, the tournament's first year, and no district school has won it since. Oakdale won D-II titles in 1992 and 1993, but the district is winless since.