With the league schedule intensifying after spring break, the Central Kitsap High School girls tennis team will turn to its most accomplished player for leadership.

That person is senior Corinne Wurden, a three-time state participant who will look to end her high school career in the postseason yet again. The left-hander advanced to the Class 4A girls state tennis championships in 2007 and 2008 as a doubles player and again in 2009 as a singles hitter.

She placed eighth in 2007, won the championship with teammate Aya Sugimoto in 2008 and earned a sixth-place finish in the singles bracket last season.

Naturally, 11th-year coach Ken Allen believes Wurden will return this season, though he is making no guarantees.

“She’s as ready as she’s ever been,” Allen said. “But the funny thing with tennis is, you can’t take anything for granted.”

What Allen does know is that Wurden must provide leadership to a team that’s laden with freshmen and somewhat inexperienced.

The Lady Cougars have about 60 players on their roster, Allen said, and many of them are new to the sport. That gives Wurden an opportunity to teach her eventual successors what she knows about the game.

“We want to make sure she has a good time this year, too, because this is it,” he said.

Wurden said she is enjoying the season, but she also is focused on getting back to the playoffs. She said the competition at the state level might be even better than it was last season, meaning she must prepare during the regular season.

Although she played doubles in an early season, non-league match against Klahowya Secondary School, she is focused on improving her singles games.

In the No. 1 singles position, she will face the top competition across the Narrows League.

“I really want to do my best and obviously make it back to state,” Wurden said.

Wurden is the most accomplished player on the team, but Allen expects a few of her teammates to have productive seasons as well.

Among those hitters are seniors Kathy McLaughlin, Allie Birmbaum and Tammy Nguyen and junior Victoria Marshall.

“We’ve got a lot of good players and we want to give them a chance to battle it out,” Allen said.

The Lady Cougars lost three regular-season league matches in 2009 and finished fourth in the Narrows League. This season Allen hopes the team is back in the upper-tier of the standings, but he said there’s not a weak team in the league.

Bellarmine Preparatory School and Gig Harbor High School are the frontrunners. Central Kitsap is 1-4 overall.

“There’s always new, good players popping up,” Allen said.