As always, Edina is the one to beat in girls' tennis

Edina senior Kelly Reger was all smiles coming off the court after her victory at No. 3 singles in the girls' tennis Class 2A, Section 6 finals.

Her part in getting Edina to the state tournament was over, and she could relax and watch the rest of the Hornets' 6-1 victory over Blake, sending them to the Class 2A tournament for the 18th consecutive year.

In the past 17 state trips, Edina has not lost a match: 17 years, 17 championships. The streak has gone on so long that Reger had not been born when it started.

"It's unbelievable to think that it's gone on that long," Reger said, shaking her head.

Believe it. Edina will be shooting for its 18th first-place trophy at next week's state tournament.

It's the longest streak of consecutive championships in state history and the longest consecutive championships streak in girls' tennis in national history, according to the National High School Federation record book. While individual singles or doubles titles in Class 2A have been won by players from other schools, the seven-match team title has been the Hornets' since 1997.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't amazed by it sometimes," said Steve Paulsen, the Edina coach for the entire run. "But it's just one of those things that happens occasionally. … It is humbling."

A streak of this magnitude carries plenty of weight and spawns frequent questions about how it can seem so unbreakable.

Skeptics abound, always ready with an accusation of rule-breaking or, at least, unethical behavior in attracting top players. Paulsen scoffs at the idea that Edina actively seeks a competitive advantage, but he acknowledges that its success has played a factor in the run.

"There is no question that it gives us an advantage," he said. "If a new person comes into town that's a very good tennis player, it's natural for them to look at schools that have been successful in tennis."

But the affable Paulsen is firm when addressing the idea that Edina seeks out tennis players.

"I can unequivocally say that we do not recruit," he said. "If someone asks me what it's all about, I direct all questions to the athletic director."

Opposing coaches recognize Edina's built-in edge but bear little resentment.

"There's a definite advantage, but they've earned it," Mounds View coach Mike Cartwright said. "I can't fault a parent for wanting to go to a school with a strong reputation. And when the tennis program is that good, it's just icing on the cake."

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Lindsay Risebrough was one of those players who moved into the Edina district. The daughter of former Wild General Manager Doug Risebrough, she moved to Minnesota from her hometown of Calgary, Alberta, in 2000, just before her sophomore year of high school.

"To be honest, my parents moved [to Edina] because we'd heard they had a great high school tennis program," Lindsay Risebrough said. "We didn't have high school tennis in Calgary, and they thought it would be a great opportunity. We'd heard that it was a good school system, which was just as important. It was as simple as that. We didn't do a lot of research."

She found out early what it meant to be a tennis player at Edina. Individual goals mean little when compared with team pursuits.

"It was exciting and different," Risebrough said. "I was taught the mentality of doing your best not just for yourself but for something larger: your school. It actually helped me take a more relaxed approach towards tennis."

Now a teaching professional for the Life Time Fitness chain, Risebrough, who graduated in 2003 and went on to an All-Big Ten career with the Gophers, said her time at Edina is still prominent in her life.

"It's like a sisterhood," she said. "You see [other former players] that you've never met and you say you played for Edina and their eyes just light up. There's always a connection through the team."

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The streak didn't just blossom at random. Edina won 15 consecutive titles from 1978 to 1992, had a four-year stretch without one, then started the current streak after Bloomington Jefferson won the big-school title in 1996.

The one constant through the entirety of the Hornets' current run has been Paulsen, who deftly balances egos with team goals and stresses personal improvement over winning.

"What Steve has done is nothing short of remarkable," said Jaime Gaard Chapman, a former Edina player who now coaches tennis at Benilde-St. Margaret's. "He's the architect of this incredible streak and he has absolutely no ego. Not only is he protecting the streak, but he manages that many talented players and he keeps all the parents happy and he does it with such grace. There is nobody in tennis I admire more."

Paulsen's system stems from one basic principle: respect. He believes in his team and in his players. He knows that many of them are year-round tennis players and have put in countless hours on the court.

He works at getting his players to believe in their abilities, then gets out of the way and lets them do the rest.

"I don't talk a lot about winning. I try to stress the experience," Paulsen said. "People have asked me what the secret is. There isn't one. I let the girls take ownership. I stay away from a lot of the things they do. Certainly I'll guide them in a way that I see fit, but most of this they do on their own."

It's an approach that fits a team that has experienced unequaled levels of success. The biggest pressure the team faces is from their past. None wants the streak to end on their watch.

"One of the reason's we're so successful is that we're all about the team," said senior Caitlyn Merzbacher, the Hornets' No. 1 singles player and the defending Class 2A singles champion.

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Merzbacher moved from Columbus, Ohio, to Edina in 2013 when her father, Chuck, was named Gophers women's tennis coach. It certainly would have been understandable had the younger Merzbacher's arrival cause any resentment or jealousy. But she said she never felt anything but acceptance.

"They were all so welcoming," she said. "Every position counts that same, one through seven. Each one is worth one point. We don't worry about who is playing what position."

Merzbacher said she was amazed at how different things are at Edina compared to her former school in Ohio.

"We're a lot closer as friends and as a team," she said. "It's helped my tennis. I didn't feel like an outcast or anything. I was accepted right away."

That might be a key to the whole puzzle. Despite outside impressions, at Edina, there is no room for selfishness.

"It doesn't matter to me what position I play," said Reger, who could likely play No. 1 or 2 singles at most other schools. "We just want to keep the streak going and we can't do that if we're worried about ourselves."