Buckhannon, W.Va. -- West Virginia Wesleyan's Women's tennis team will kick off their fall season segment with a pair of road matches at Frostburg State and Shepherd University this weekend. The Lady Bobcats have seen some changes this spring with no fewer than 5 freshmen joining the program and a new head coach, Marc Walters, leading the makeover.
"We may need some name tags for the first few matches until we start recognizing our own teammates," joked Walters about his roster of 9 players, only 3 of which have significant playing experience. "The girls have had to get used to a new system, drill structure, and training regimen on top of their academic loads, and I have really been impressed with their vibe and chemistry so far," said Walters of his charges. "We have a little more depth than in the past couple of seasons, and I hope we can overcome the youth factor in time to be relevant in the conference."
That 'conference' is the new Mountain East, which replaces the former WVIAC. Wesleyan finished tied for eighth out of nine teams in their final season in that league, and the new 8 team format features most of the same schools. Walters hopes to see the girls make some inroads to improving their stature in the new conference, and the match with Shepherd will go a long way to showing where the Lady 'Cats stand this year.
"Shepherd has a more experienced leadership core, and certainly a talented top 4," Walters noted of the Lady Rams. "If we can give them a match out of the blocks, and be competitive, it will help the girls relax and we all get a better idea of where we can climb to this year."
Walters will look to his returners for some stability as the early portion of the schedule begins. Angela Pittinger, a sophomore who played the top spot in singles and doubles as a true freshmen, will again lead the team into battle. Walters believes Pittinger got valuable experience last year, and that her maturity and toughness on the court will help set the tone for the team. "Angie was a very important piece for us to bring back this year, and she continues to develop nicely."
Allene Connor and Somi Jeong also return for their junior years, after seeing significant playing time in the 4-6 spots last season. They will be counted on to help guide the freshmen through the daily grind of a tough conference segment and into regional play in the spring.
The freshmen class will make an immediate impact according to Walters, who noted that depth and doubles were key issues in the team struggling to win their close matches last fall. He believes that Sarah Cameron, Coral Dean, Paula Pimenta, Samantha Smith, and Julia Uchoa will all make a dent on the team's results this year.
"The new gals have some game," Walters said of his newest Lady Bobcats. "They are from varied backgrounds and in athleticism, but they show up daily with a great deal of energy and they have been paying attention, which is a great sign. I know they'll be working hard to learn our system and get some reps in against other teams."
Regardless of the initial outcome this weekend, the tone has been set for the team to start climbing the ladder in the Mountain East Conference. Walters thinks that climb will be a steady one. "We have goals that are reasonable, but we also have personal expectations of becoming a player in the regional landscape, which takes some time and dedication. I think this group shows a lot of promise in laying that foundation".
The Lady 'Cats serve it up against DIII Frostburg State University in Frostburg, MD at 1pm on Saturday, followed by a 10am start time in Shepherdstown on Sunday with the Lady Rams.
