When you check league standings, Oak Ridge is in first place, and their doubles teams are 23-2 overall. They have had only two losses all season, both against the Blue Devils' top doubles team, Lea Lamoureux and Ana Palmbaum.
Lamoureux and Palmbaum, both seniors, finished the 2025 regular season with a perfect 14-0 record. I watched them compete against St. Francis during their Senior Night match on Thursday, Oct. 24.
After a brief Senior Night celebration on Oct. 24, where they wore "Senior 2026" sashes, they began their match. In the first game, Lamoureux served four consecutive aces, setting the tone for the evening. The St. Francis duo, aware that they were overmatched, showed good sportsmanship by laughing when a shot sped by them and celebrating each time they scored against the Blue Devils.
The duo cruised to a straight-sets win, 6-1, 6-0.
I was able to catch up with the duo and get their thoughts on this great season.
MT: How long have you been playing together — and how did you first become partners?
Lea: We started playing together at the beginning of our 2024 fall season. Each season, the coach tests different doubles pairings in the first weeks. The first time I played with Ana, at the start of fall 2024, everything just clicked.
Ana: Coach Sally (Hosley) paired us for a match early in the 2024 fall season, and we’ve been partners since. We didn’t know each other before that game.
MT: What makes your partnership on the court so effective?
Lea: Communication is our best trait. We always call the ball and talk about switching or leaving it. Most importantly, we support each other and never get upset over missed shots — we focus on the next point.
Ana: We know how to have fun and keep a positive mindset, which helps in a mentally challenging sport. We support each other, keep it light, and focus on the next point — not on mistakes.
MT: As your senior season winds down, what memory of your tennis career stands out?
Ana: What stands out is how far Lea and I have come as a team. I’ve had a lot of fun, learned so much, and am proud of our wins this season. It’s a great way to finish!
Lea: When Ana and I went to play in the doubles tournament for our league last year. We ended up playing the No. 1 and 2 singles players for Del Oro. Although they were ranked significantly higher than us, we played our hardest and put up an intense fight. We didn't win, but the experience showed us that we could hold our own, even against teams that were significantly better than us. I think this is when we truly realized our talent as a team and how well we played together.
I caught up with head coach Hosley for her thoughts. She said, "It's a pleasure to coach Lea and Ana. They are a powerhouse No. 1 doubles team. Both could have played singles. But after their success at No. 1 dubs last season, they wanted to repeat this year.
“All coaches in our league know they are the team to beat! They hit hard, plan well, communicate, and always smile!
“I'm lucky they are coachable. They want feedback and always do their best. They help run prac... Click here to read full article
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