AVON – In the last four years, the Avon High School boys tennis team has won four straight Class M state championships.

It was not a coincidence that period of success, which included winning 60 straight matches over a three-year period, coincided with Liam Hovorka’s four years at Avon. And his brother Ryan was No. 2 right behind him.

Liam graduated, but his brother – and younger sister – are trying to continue the family legacy at Avon for both the boys and girls teams. Ryan Hovorka is now a senior and has moved up to No. 1 singles. Audrey Hovorka, their younger sister, is a freshman and playing at No. 1 singles on the girls team.

“I’ve had the pleasure of teaching the (Hovorka) kids in middle school and now coaching Audrey,” Avon girls coach Kim Moretti said. “All of the (Hovorka) kids are smart, well-rounded and talented. I just wish they had quadruplet girls.”

The Avon boys are 6-3, on top of the Class M rankings, losing to Hall (7-2), Glastonbury (9-1) and Farmington (8-0). Ryan has a 7-2 record. The girls are 7-1, in the mix in Class L, with their only loss a 4-3 setback to Newington, which was Audrey’s only loss.

“Without his leadership this year, it would be a lot different,” said Avon boys coach Matt Krenicky, who started coaching the team this year, of Ryan. “He’s been playing great tennis.”

Ryan said he’s happy to move up but he has more pressure in his new role.

Ryan Hovorka, Avon’s No. 1 singles player, hits at practice last week. His sister Audrey, a freshman, is also the No. 1 singles player for the Avon girls team. (Photo by Lori Riley)

“Now it’s on me to perform and lead the team,” said Hovorka, who is heading to Indiana University in the fall but is not going to play tennis there. “It’s a new responsibility I’m trying to work with and get better at.

“It’s challenging without some of the strong players from the years before such as my brother and a bunch of the other guys who were here for all these years, but we’re figuring it out. We’re working hard every practice to try to get the whole team in shape to repeat what we’ve been able to do in previous years.”

Audrey came to a team that already had a No. 1 singles player in Louisa Mathias, a junior. The two squared off to determine who would be No. 1 and Audrey came out on top.

“They came off smiling,” Moretti said. “You wouldn’t have known who won.

“Louisa Mathias, she’s been my solid No. 1; she beat every single No. 1 we played in our league except for Farmington. When Audrey came along … the two of them are the best of friends, they’ve been playing together for years and they elevate each other’s games by playing each other.

“I only had them challenge each other once. But I said they could challenge each other as many times as they want to.”

Growing up with two older brothers who were excellent players helped Audrey’s game.

“It made me mentally tougher, because the competition against them was a little more personal,” she said.

Things got heated “sometimes,” she said, laughing.

“I’ve played with her for years and years,” Ryan said. “To see her get closer and closer to be able to hit with me and handle my shots – she’s gotten a lot better. I can have some really good points with her.”

The Avon girls have been close in the state tournament: two years ago, the Falcons lost to Guilford in the Class L championship match. They were also the Class L runners-up to Hand in 2021, the first year the boys won their string of four straight titles.

“We’re enjoying a great ride,” Moretti said. “It’s very exciting.”