WOMEN'S TENNIS: Lady Apaches have sights set on nationals
By Dave Msseemmaa
Associate Editor
Another Apache team with a trip to nationals in their sights is the women’s tennis team. Last year’s squad finished third in their regional, failing to make the cutoff of second place to go to Arizona for nationals.
And while last year’s team was good, second-year coach Steve Crick says this team is stronger.
“We’ve got more depth and more talent from top to bottom,” said Crick. “We’ve got a good class of freshmen that took four of the six singles spots, and our sophomores are great, too.”
2000 LaSalle-Peru grad Wendy Grabowski took the No. 1 singles spot, bumping Lindsey Hammers of Peru to No. 2.
Both netters move the ball well, hit hard, and have good passing games that compliment their at-the-net play. Freshman Nicole Frkol (LaSalle-Peru) claimed the No. 3 singles spot, Sarah Smith (LaSalle-Peru) is at No. 5, and Heidi Hewitt (Princeton) is at No. 6.
Grabowski and Hammers have been playing No. 1 doubles.
Frkol and Theresa Marynus (LaSalle-Peru) are playing at No. 2. Amanda Pavy and Mandy Moore at No. 3 round out the squad.
“Last year we had everybody playing both singles and doubles,” said Crick. “But this year, we have so much talent that we don’t want to leave anybody out.”
With a schedule very similar to last year’s and wins off of College of DuPage, College of Lake County, and Waubonsee Community College as of press time, Crick says the goal of getting to nationals is within reach of the Lady Apaches.