On one counter of women’s tennis coach Collin Ferebee’s classroom, there stands a row of nearly identical plaques earned from the women’s tennis team’s various Central Piedmont Conference (CPC) championships. At the end of the row stands a new plaque, shaped differently from the rest — this one earned from the team’s first conference championship in the North Piedmont Conference (NPC). For the fifth year in a row, women’s tennis has won a conference championship, a testament to the hard work and success of a season filled with uncertainty.
As of the 2025-26 school year, Davie County transitioned to a new conference: the NPC. Now the War Eagles would be facing entirely new opponents. However, the team adapted quickly, dominating each regular season match. This streak at one point resulted in the “Coincidence of Nines”—the team had won nine matches with a score of 9-0 on the ninth day of the ninth month—and an overall undefeated record of 14-0.
This impressive record led the team to briefly hold the first seed in the state at one point during the season, and they finished the regular season as the second seed in the West. The team has a 35-game winning streak in the regular season, tied as the longest in program history.
Perhaps most impressively, this year’s championship extended the team’s streak to five in a row, the first time in Davie County High School’s 70-year history that a women’s program (aside from cheerleading) has done so. Additionally, women’s tennis has become the first sport to win a conference championship in the NPC.
At the NPC tournament on October 1, the War Eagles added to their success. Strong performances from junior Corbin Drum (2nd) and sophomore Kate Chaffin (5th) in singles set the stage for victory, and the doubles teams of freshman Layla Hazlip and sophomore Ola Leszczuk (4th) and junior Casey Cao and freshman Sydney Ward (3rd) helped secure the NPC Team Tournament Championship for Davie.
“Not an Accident”
Despite the team’s vast success, the season still presented challenges. Aside from the transition to a new conference, the starting lineup shifted more than expected at the end of last year. The team lost three of its starting players, leaving multiple spots open for new talent to step in.
“We’re a really young team,” Ferebee said. “On average, our starting lineup is in 10th grade. This was the youngest in the conference by far. We also did not have a ton of starting experience. Coming into this year, Corbin had 2 years, Kate and Casey both had 1, and no one else had any.”
Four out of the six players in the starting lineup were underclassmen. Instead of having what would seem like a rebuilding year for the program, the team blew away expectations with their performance. However, their impressive performance has come from intense dedication and work, which Ferebee cites as one of their keys to success.
“I think our biggest strength this year has been our grittiness and our refusal to accept that it was a ‘rebuild’ year,” Ferebee said. “We came into the summer ready to work and ready to win, and it’s paid off.”
The team started the season with summer workouts, helping them improve as individuals and as a whole. Senior Bailey Aderhold, who has served as an assistant coach this year due to an ACL tear in May, said that the team’s chemistry and hard work have been essential.
“One of the biggest strengths of our team this season has been how close and supportive we are of each other,” Aderhold said. “Everyone pushes each other to get better, but we also celebrate each other’s wins and keep spirits up when things get tough. I’d also say our consistency and discipline in practice have carried over into matches, which has really helped us stay focused and confident.”
The team certainly has something to be proud of with its regular-season performance. In an interview, Ferebee reflected on the team’s success and work this season.
“I think it’s important for people to understand that five in a row is not an accident or something that’s just handed to us,” Ferebee said. “We’ve beaten every team in the conference—both old and new—to earn this, and that’s because of the hard work that the players have put in.”
State Playoffs and Individual Regionals
In addition to their record-breaking regular-season performance, the team also found success at individual regionals and state playoffs. At regionals, on October 17th, Drum and Chaffin excelled in singles again, both advancing to the semifinals on October 18th. The doubles team of Cao/Ward lost to the first-seeded doubles team at regionals.
Davie also made history in their state playoffs run. As the 2nd seed in the West, Davie had a first-round bye. The second round of state playoffs saw Davie hosting Porter Ridge, a team they dominated with a 6-0 lead after singles. Davie’s win against Porter Ridge not only secured them a spot in the third round of state playoffs (the Sweet 16), but was the first time the team had reached the third round since 2016. Davie’s third-round opponents were Ballantyne Ridge, whom they lost to with a score of 5-1 after singles. The War Eagles’ performance was certainly impressive, especially considering the team’s 3-17 record in state playoff matches. Overall, the team finished with a 15-1 record, ranking number 24 out of the 340 schools in all divisions in NC that fielded a team.
The War Eagles have much to look back on as this season moves into the rearview. What was supposed to be a rebuilding year became something much more—proof that there is no substitute for focus, grit, and hard work. The question at this point isn’t whether Davie will keep their streak alive, but just how much higher they will soar.
