By John Baracani
This season has been a season full of changes for the Lady Apaches tennis team. Not only does the team have all new players and a new coach, but there have also been recent changes in scheduling and the seeding order of the players.
Number one seed Lindsey Hammers and number two seed Missy Poulakos have both remained the top singles and the number one doubles partners, but coach Steve Crick has experimented with the rest of the seeds, switching around the 3, 4, 5, and 6 singles positions.
On Saturday, September 25, the Apaches fell not to a junior varsity team, but to Illinois Wesleyan’s varsity team 9-0, with no matches reaching three sets. The loss gives the Lady Apaches a 5-4 record at press time.
"We took our lumps and came home," said Crick. "But we’ll be okay. They realize the circumstances. We have 3 matches this week against junior colleges."
On Thursday, September 23, IVCC defeated Rock Valley 6-3, with singles victories by Amanda Pavy, Theresa Marynus, Abbie Hyson, and Susana Moreno. Number two doubles partners Mandi Morse and Lana Welch, and number three doubles partners Pavy and Marynus posted victories in doubles play.
Crick says he has been impressed with the play of his team.
"I have been real pleased with the way we’re doing. I expect some close matches. Everybody is playing hard and doing the best they can. I see us improving."
Crick expects this Thursday’s match against Springfield College to be another close one.
"We played them the first match of the year and we won 5-4. I anticipate another close one," he said.
The first change to the team’s schedule is the addition of an October 5 match at McHenry County at 2:45.
The location of the Region IV tournament has been changed from DuPage College to Harper College, and the dates changed to October 8 and 9.
"Hopefully we’ll peak at tournament time," Crick said.
The top two teams in the regional tournament qualify for nationals, to be held in Tucson, Arizona next May.
Crick, who will also be in his first season coaching women’s basketball at IVCC later this fall, encourages any women still interested in competing for the few remaining roster openings to contact him at extension 474.