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Coaches:
Matt Mellone – Head Girls Tennis Coach & Rachel Karwacki - Assistant Girls Tennis Coach
Coach Matt Mellone has served as the Head Coach of the Carmel School Girls Tennis program for the past five seasons and is passionate about developing student-athletes both on and off the field. Matt says,
Fun, fast and free. This is my approach to any sport I coach. My approach to tennis is to have fun. I think high school sports are some of the best years of these kids' lives and we want to have fun. Next, I want my tennis players to play fast. We want to hustle and chase down every ball and every point counts. We want our tennis players to play free. This means go out, compete at the highest level and leave it all out on the courts. Win, lose or draw, we can move on in peace knowing we gave it our best.
Program Highlights
- This is our fifth year of girls tennis at The Carmel School. Our junior class (Class of 2028) is the anchor of the team, led by Leah Hall and Autumn Bender. We look to take the next steps forward as a team with the hopes of competing with some of the best teams in Virginia
Coach Clayborne played elite-level club soccer from ages 12–18 with the Roanoke Star Elite Travel Team. During his club career, he competed internationally in the prestigious Gothia Cup, the world's largest youth soccer tournament, held in Gothenburg, Sweden.
At the high school level, he earned a starting position on the varsity team as a freshman. As a junior, he was recognized as one of the top players in his conference, finishing as the runner-up for Conference Player of the Year honors. Unfortunately, a torn ACL during his senior season ended his playing career.
Reflecting on that experience, Coach Clayborne believes God had a different path planned for him. Today, he is dedicated to sharing his knowledge, experience, and passion for the game with the next generation of players, helping them grow and pursue opportunities to compete at the collegiate level.
3 Seasons as Head Coach, Carmel Varsity Boys Soccer
1 Season as Head Coach, Carmel Varsity Girls Soccer
When Coach Clayborne took over the boys' varsity program, the team had not recorded a win in the previous two seasons. Since then, the program has steadily improved:
- Year 1: 2 Wins
- Year 2: 1 Win
- Year 3: 5 Wins and a VMAC Championship appearance
The 2025-26 season marked a historic breakthrough for the program. The team defeated Grove Christian in the conference semifinals—a team Carmel had not beaten in its previous eight matchups—and advanced to the VMAC Conference Championship match.