The BG tennis team serves up another season this Saturday at 9 a.m. when they host the BGSU Invitational at Keefe Courts.
This year’s Falcons squad consists of seniors Susie Schoenberger, Laura Kokinda and Cameron Benjamin, juniors Andrea Meister and Heidi Romer, sophomores Erica Wolfe and Ashley Jakupcin, and freshmen Jenna Nussbaum and Andrea Volley.
Falcon head coach Penny Dean said she is looking forward to the invitational and the team is ready to go out and compete.
“Practice has been going well,” Dean said. “We’re working hard and we’re ready to play!”
Dean said the teams to watch out for this weekend are Buffalo at the top flight of their lineup and Xavier.
“We’ve been struggling against Xavier over the last couple years in our dual matches, so I would love to see some wins over Xavier players,” Dean said.
However, this weekend is just the beginning, and the Falcons hope they can gain some momentum to start the long season on a high note. But there is one thing in particular that the Falcons must overcome from last season: injuries.
Last year, the Falcons began the season winning eight of their first 12, but a series of injuries caused them to slide, winning only two of their final 12 meetings. Dean said the injuries changed the team chemistry and affected the confidence of the players.
“We had three major injuries right in the heart of the season,” Dean said. “People were moved up two spots and we were struggling with the power game against other MAC teams. So this year we need to make sure that we regain our confidence and keep it going into the MAC season.”
Even though the Falcons won’t get into any MAC competition until March, the matches this fall still remain important for the Falcons. Dean said it’s important for the team to face tough competition against good teams in order to prepare for the MAC teams.
“I’m hoping to find good doubles combinations through these matches in the fall,” Dean said. “And I want to have some of the players become individual champions in these first two tournaments.”
While the Falcons have most of their returning players from last season, they will have to fill the void left by Gaby Coello and Lisa Maloney. Dean said both freshmen Jenna Nussbaum and Andrea Volley will be ready to contribute in their absence.
“We’re going to miss Gaby and Lisa a lot but I do see the freshmen stepping up and trying to fill those shoes,” Dean said. “I’m real pleased with them so far. They’ve come in with a good attitude; they’re working hard and should definitely contribute in doubles.”
Dean also said she hopes to see as many fans as possible this weekend at the Invitational supporting the Falcons.
“We’ll be out at the courts giving our all for BG all day Saturday and all day Sunday,” Dean said. “We’d love to see a lot of students out there.”
