WOMEN'S TENNIS: Team looks for an undefeated season
By Amy Smith
The women’s tennis team is off to a strong start for the 2001 season. The team, currently 3 – 0, hopes to repeat its last year success when they were undefeated in the regular season (14-0), regional champions and national competitors.
So far the women have overpowered Rock Valley (7-2 on Aug. 24), Sauk Valley (8-1 on Aug. 28) and Eureka (9-0 on Sept. 4).
The only meet the IVCC women have lost was an exhibition match against the University of Illinois in Springfield (8-1) on Aug. 31.
According to Region IV Coach of the Year Steve Crick, the team has a good chance to repeat as regional champions this year.
"Four of the top six players from last year’s team returned, and we have recruited some new talent," Crick said. "And, this year’s players are extremely competitive. They play hard and play to win."
The returning sophomores on the 2001 squad are Wendy Grabowski, playing #1 for the second year in a row; Nicole Frkol at #2; Sarah Smith at #3; and Heidi Hewitt at #5.
Grabowski, Smith and Hewitt are defending regional champions. Frkol placed second at the regional tournament.
Grabowski, Frkol and Smith are all from LaSalle-Peru High School, and Hewitt is from Princeton.
Sophomore Dawn Bumgarner, an alternate, brings with her four years of high school tennis experience.
The freshmen on the team are Kathryn Hertzner from Ottawa, Melissa Avenarius and Megan Small from Mendota, and Catrina Comba from Princeton. Kertzner is playing at #4 singles and Avenarius at #6. Small and Comba are alternates.
Doubles teams are Grabowski and Frkol at #1, Smith and Hertzner at #2 and Hewitt and Avenarius at #3.
The women face Joliet for the first time on Sept. 13 and then Eureka and Sauk Valley again on Sept. 21 and 24 respectively.
Matches that had been scheduled against College of DuPage on Sept. 6 and 25 have been canceled because DuPage does not have a team this season. A match on Sept. 1 that had been scheduled first against Springfield College and then against College of Lake County was canceled because of rain.
The competition will rise as the season winds down toward the regionals. On Oct. 9 the IVCC women face McHenry County, who also qualified for the national tournament last year.
"McHenry has five returning players so they will be strong," Crick said.
The regional tournament will be Oct. 12 – 13 at Moraine Valley Community College and nationals will be in May at Texas A & M University in College Station.