2008 season preview

August 28, 2008

NORTON, MA- Despite losing three players from last year's fall lineup, 29th-year head coach Lynn Miller has reason to be optimistic about the Wheaton College women's tennis team's 2008 campaign, as the Lyons return two seniors who were abroad in 2007 and have brought in two freshmen who will start right away.

"We should be a little stronger than last year," said Miller about a squad that was 11-6 overall but 3-4 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play. "It will be interesting to see how things pan out. We don't have a lot of depth; 10 people for a women's team is very risky, especially if injuries or major class conflicts become a factor, and we will lose three players in the spring when they study abroad."

Miller, whose squad began last season 6-0 and eventually advanced to the semifinal round of the NEWMAC Tournament for the first time since 2004, is joined by third-year assistant coaches Bill Sadlowski and Chuck Straley.

Wheaton, which enters this season ranked 24th in the Northeast region by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), takes on six regionally-ranked foes during the fall season, including Division II Bentley College, the 2007 Northeast-10 Conference runner-up and an NCAA Tournament participant. Wellesley College, which has won the past four NEWMAC Tournaments and is ranked 11th nationally, also looms on the slate.

"The goal is to be at least .500 overall, and our NEWMAC schedule is probably stronger than our non-conference schedule," said Miller. The coach said Wheaton's league standing will depend heavily upon its outcome against Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and Springfield College, a trio of teams that jostled with the Lyons for middle ground in the NEWMAC last year. The Blue and White went 3-1 against those foes, fielding a makeshift lineup while falling to Smith by one point during the regular season before handily defeating the Pioneers in the first round of the NEWMAC Tournament.

According to Miller, Wheaton's team for the season at hand is beginning to take shape. "Things are starting to fall into place, and it's obvious who should be playing where," said Miller. "For doubles, it's becoming clearer what our best match-ups will look like."

Wheaton's top four singles positions will likely be occupied by a combination of junior captain Katherine Knies (Purdys, NY/North Salem), sophomores Sarah Geocaris (Newport Beach, CA/Sage Hill School) and Catherine Teague (Manchester, NH/Central), and freshman Allesandra DiOrio (Cumberland, RI/Lincoln School).

Teague, Geocaris and Knies held down Wheaton's first, second and third singles slots, respectively, a year ago. Teague picked up 15 victories, while Geocaris, who became the first Lyon to corral NEWMAC All-Conference honors since 2004, went 17-4. Knies, who has been a regular in the lineup since her freshman year, posted 10 wins.

Four players will vie for time at the fifth and sixth singles positions. Seniors Mallory Farmer (Washington, CT/The Gunnery) and Oriana Federico (Andover, MA/Lawrence Academy) both missed last fall while studying abroad and each have prior experience as a singles starter. Sophomore Ellen Van Faasen (Manchester, MA/Manchester Essex Regional) corralled 10 wins primarily out of the number-four slot last year, while freshman Rosalyn Chesky (South Hadley, MA/Wilbraham & Monson Academy) rounds out the quartet.

In doubles play, Geocaris and Teague combined for 13 wins as Wheaton's top duo in 2007 while earning a regional ranking. Miller will either continue to employ the pairing or split them between the first and second slots to team them with new partners. DiOrio and Knies could appear in the second or third positions, though the tandem at number three will likely be a mix of Chesky, Farmer, Federico and Van Faasen. Van Faasen notched 10 doubles wins last year, Knies had eight, while the seniors both drew an ample amount of doubles experience as sophomores.

Miller said juniors Alexandra Magee (Abington, PA/Saint Stephen's Episcopal School) and Caralina O'Connell (Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahon), neither of whom appeared in a match last year, are challenging for playing time in exhibition matches.

With the beginning of the season right around the corner, Miller is encouraged by the team being ahead of where it was last year at this time. The Lyons kick off their slate by traveling to Salve Regina University on August 29 before returning home to face Simmons College the next day. Conference play begins when the Blue and White hosts Mount Holyoke on September 13, and the NEWMAC Tournament starts on October 25 at Mount Holyoke. Wheaton returns to action in the spring with as many as four matches at Hilton Head, South Carolina, in early March.

This page is maintained by Scott Dietz. Last updated on 8/28/08.
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