2008 Women's Tennis Season Preview
Growth in a program often comes with small steps. A win here or a breakthrough performance there can be the building blocks for the future of a young program.
Such was the case for the Pacific women's tennis program in 2007. The Boxers saw some breakout performances by a number of their players, most notably Tessa Krebs (Jr., Puyallup, Wash.) and Sophie Waddington (Jr., Harare, Zimbabwe), and a 5-4 win over George Fox that was the program's first victory in over two years.
Fast forward to the fall, and the Boxers found even more reason to be confident in their growth. At the fall ITA Regional Championships in September, returners Dayna Wong (So., Hilo, Hawaii) and Sami Richards (Jr., Colusa, Calif.) both managed to win matches against players who had defeated them the year before.
Experience will help the Boxers greatly as they charge into the 2008 campaign. Waddington, Wong and Richards return, along with Jaime Yoshino (So., Honolulu, Hawaii), but Krebs will miss most of the season as she continues to recover from a knee injury.
"There are a lot of unknowns, but I think we have a lot of potential," said Pacific Head Women's Tennis Coach Sandy Garry, who is in third year with the program. "There are a lot of skills there, but it's a matter of getting even more experience because we have a pretty young team again."
With that said, Garry believes her team will win matches and even compete for one of the six spots in the Northwest Conference Championship tournament. "I think it's feasible," Garry said. "I think we have enough talent and I think if they work hard, become more consistent and are willing to put in the work, we can get there. They need to believe in themselves and their capabilities."
Like last year, Wong and Yoshino are expected to lead the Boxers in the No. 1 and No. 2 singles flights. Both struggled against the toughest of conference competition last year (Yoshino won one match), but Garry believes the year of experience will make them a solid one-two punch.
"They both have good games and experience will certainly help. They know what to expect," Garry said. "In the ITA fall preview, they both won matches. It should give them some confidence in their game to know that they can hang with some of those teams."
Waddington spent much of the year knocking the rust off of her game after having not played for a couple of years, but was a pleasant surprise. While winning just one match at No. 4 singles, she combined with Krebs to win seven matches in the doubles. "She doesn't give up easily," Garry said. "She has good strategy on the court and was one of those who pulled out wins last year. She will help us in both singles and doubles."
Richards and Vena Haynes (So., Pukalani, Hawaii) both return for a second year with eyes on earning a spot in the lineup. Both saw their action limited as freshmen, but have also seen a great deal of progress. "They did not get a chance to play many matches last year, but they are much more consistent," Garry said.
Krebs could see some time late in the season if her knee allows, but would likely play only in doubles matches. Laura Swenson (So., Salem, Ore.) also returns for her second year in the program.
Of the team's five newcomers, Leslie Nguyen (Fr., Salem, Ore.) enters with the most potential to make an immediate impact. Nguyen was a four-year letterwinner in high school and was the only freshman Garry took to the September ITA Regional, a nod to her background.
"Leslie is probably the most consistent of the bunch," Garry said. "She has great skills and a good shot, and hung in both of her matches at the fall preview with some good players. I expect her to step up her game."
Jamaica King (Fr., Salem, Ore.) and Stephanie Velligas (Fr., Waimanalo, Hawaii) also stand a chance to break into the lineup after coming out for spring practices. "They both have good skills, but they need to become more consistent and gain confidence in themselves," Garry said. "They've improved greatly in the first few weeks."
Breanna Grove (Fr., Mountain View, Calif.) rounds out the roster, coming to Pacific after a solid high school career.