The way Greg Witta, head coach of the Eden Prairie High School girls tennis team, picks his squad is to have his players play each other in a series of challenge matches.

“That way,” he said, “they make it on their own merits.”

Witta had a similar response when asked to handicap the upcoming season.

“I’m not going to read too much into who is ranked where,” he said. “We’ll play and then we’ll talk.”

What Witta has to work with is a lineup that features seven parts experience mixed with five parts raw talent.

Translation: 12 players that can really hit the ball.

Makenna Borg, last year’s No. 1 singles player, returns to the same post this year.

After that, it gets less clear.

Laurel Pederson could play No. 2 singles or No. 1 doubles. If she plays No. 2 singles, look for Maddie Buxton and Mary Bridgid Brady to play Nos. 3 and 4 singles.

If she plays No. 1 doubles, look for Buxton to move up to No. 2 singles.

If you do that, then you have to figure out where to play Katy Johnson, Audrey Phillips, Alexa Heupel, Kaitlin Turner, Laura Stene, Allison Malmsten, Meg Lee and Megan Hanson.

The good news, if you can call it that, is that most of Witta’s players are singles players.

The bad news? Most of Witta’s players are singles players.

Fortunately, the coach doesn’t see it that way. “The skills you use to play singles are the same skills you’d use to play doubles,” he said. “The challenge is to find the right click.”

Lake first?

As was the case last year, Witta’s No. 1 goal is a Lake Conference championship (last year, Eden Prairie finished third).

Goal No. 2, bigger than goal No. 1, is to get through sections.

“We want to go back to state,” he said.

On paper, Minnetonka is the section favorite. Not only did they defeat Eden Prairie by a 5-2 score in last year’s section tournament, but they return Aria Lambert, last year’s Class AA singles’ runner-up.

Orono is also expected to be a formidable opponent.

In terms of the Lake Conference, Witta considers Eastview, Lakeville South and Lakeville North the teams to beat.

Lastly, three of Eden Prairie’s first four opponents are Hopkins, Edina and Wayzata.

“I’m hoping playing teams like that helps us prepare for the conference,” said Witta.

Ready or not, Lake Conference play begins Wednesday, Aug. 27, at Eagan.