Chatham High School girls tennis will field a completely new starting lineup when the Cougars open the 2026 season Tuesday, Aug. 25, at Sparta.

"Every single person in the starting lineup will be at a new position," coach Mike Manna said, according to Patch.

The overhaul follows the departure of Chatham's top two singles players from last year's squad, which captured the program's 12th consecutive Morris County Tournament championship. That county streak is the longest active run in the area, and defending it with an entirely reshuffled roster will test the program's depth in a way recent seasons have not.

Junior Leyla Morelli, who played doubles in 2025, steps into the first singles slot. Other doubles standouts are also sliding into singles roles as Manna rebuilds the top of the lineup. The moves mean Chatham's doubles pairings need to be constructed almost from scratch. As of Wednesday, Aug. 19, those combinations were still being finalized.

The transition is significant. First singles is the most demanding position on a high school tennis roster, and Morelli will face opponents' top players every match after spending last season alongside a partner at the net.

Despite the upheaval, Manna expects Chatham to remain among Morris County's top programs. The Cougars have reason for confidence beyond their county streak: the Daily Record named Chatham the top Morris/Sussex high school sports program for 2025-26, the fourth straight year the school earned that distinction. That ranking covers all varsity sports, not just tennis, and reflects the kind of institutional depth Manna is counting on as younger players step up.

Doubles pairings unsettled, a new first singles player untested at the top of the lineup, and five days until the opener at Sparta. The 13th straight county title chase starts Tuesday.