The courts are officially open, and for Prior Lake boys’ tennis, the 2026 season is about leveling up.
Ranked No. 9 in Class AA to start the year, the Lakers won’t be taking the easy path. The squad is set to feature a schedule including eight of the top 11 teams in the state.
Prior Lake enters the season with a roster that returns nine varsity players from last year’s impressive section semi-final appearance, while adding three new faces to this young but experienced lineup.
The 2026 roster will be led by captains Tarun Gopi, senior; August Adams, senior; and Dallas Handevidt, junior. The full 12-member roster will include two seniors, two juniors and two sophomores, alongside four freshmen and two additional seventh-graders who will join the team and develop additional skills throughout the year.
Second-year coach Jason Muhl is optimistic about the program’s trajectory and the dedication shown by his players leading up to the opener.
“I am thrilled to kick off another wonderful year of PL tennis!” Muhl said. “There is so much to be excited about this season — from our talented core of nine returning athletes to an impressive group of three incoming varsity players. Starting the season in the top 10 of the coaches’ poll is a direct result of the incredible hard work put in during the off-season.”
The Lakers will kick off the season on Monday, April 6, with a high level test on the road against the No. 2-ranked Edina Hornets and then into conference play the very next day at Lakeville South. Their home opener against Lakeville North is Thursday, April 9, at 4 p.m.
The Lakers are betting that their rigorous regular-season schedule will have them battle-tested for the postseason again this year.
The team and individual section tournaments are scheduled to begin at the end of May. In Minnesota high school tennis, the top team from all eight sections qualifies for the Minnesota State High School League State Tournament, which takes place in early June at the University of Minnesota’s Baseline Tennis Center.
Prior Lake will compete in Section 2AA, which includes Eden Prairie, currently ranked No. 5, and the No. 6 team from Minnetonka.
