August 12, 2011 at 5:04 p.m.
Questions loom as season nears
RHS girls' tennis team looks to fill large shoes in 2011
Questions loom as season nears
Less than a week before their first match, the Hodags are still searching for their singles and doubles players. Not helping their cause is the fact that two of the first four practices, including the first day, were washed away by Mother Nature.
"For us, the rain is especially a big negative," RHS tennis head coach Bob Heideman said. "I say that because we have so many question marks to answer that we just need every minute we can possibly have and this rain has just not helped at all."
The Hodags will have large shoes to fill this season. Gone from last year's Great Northern Conference championship squad are No. 1 and 2 singles players Priyanka Sikka and Alleigh Fralick and Kelsey Ginnell at No. 4 singles.
Those three combined to go 15-0 in conference play last season, all claiming titles at their respective position. Sikka and Fralick accounted for 216 victories over the past four years and seven state tournament appearances.
In order to find out who will fill the vacancies left by the graduations, Heideman started a series of challenge matches. Rain, however, has slowed that process.
Regardless of who rises to the occasion, Heideman is confident that unlike the past several years, the team will need contributions from across the board if it hopes to repeat as champions.
"If we're going to be successful, we're going to have to get wins from different spots," he said. "The doubles teams are going to have to come up with some big wins for us if we're going to be successful."
Among the key returners from last year's team are singles player Lyssa Messerli and the doubles team of Beth Ann Zenk and Kelsie Prahl.
Although nothing official has been determined, Messerli, a junior, figures to have a good shot at claiming the No. 1 singles position. As a No. 3 singles player last year, Messerli posted a perfect 5-0 record in GNC action.
"Lyssa comes back surely with the most experience," Heideman said.
As good as the Hodags were in singles action last year, going 20-0 and sweeping the first-team all-conference list, they struggled in doubles play, finishing the year at 7-8.
The tandem of Zenk and Prahl accounted for three of those wins and return looking to build on a second-place conference finish. Heideman said their chemistry is what makes them special.
"They're friends that get along," he said. "Many times you can be friends off the court but getting along as a doubles team doesn't work out. But for them it works out. The second thing is that they're both fairly good athletes."
Roz Hatlen and Karli Radeka also return with varsity experience. While they played primarily in doubles action last season, Heideman said that they are both vying for singles positions this year.
Despite the uncertainty in playing positions and the cancellations of practice, Heideman is pleased so far with the numbers that came out and the size and talent of the freshmen class. Well over 20 players have attended the first few practices of the season.
Once everything gets settled and the lineup is set, Heideman sees his team as having decent chance at repeating as GNC champions, saying that the conference is "wide-open."
"I think we can contend for the conference championship," he said. "Somebody each match is going to have to come through for us. Just looking at the team, my guess is that it's going to have to be different people."
The Hodags kick off their title defense Thursday when they travel to Minocqua to take on the Lakeland T-Birds. Lakeland finished last season a point out of the second place, going 3-2 in conference play.
Heideman said getting off on the right foot Thursday can go a long way in terms of confidence.
"With a young team, the beginning can have such an effect as to which direction you're going to go. We just have to work very hard and hope that we're as ready as we can possibly be for that match."
The dual with Lakeland is scheduled to get underway at 4 p.m.
Comments:
You must login to comment.