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2002 Season Outlook The Cedarville University women's tennis program has made a habit of winning and don't look for the trend to stop this spring. The Lady Jackets have run off 17 consecutive seasons without a losing record and five of the top six players are back from last year's American Mideast Conference championship team that won a school-record 15 matches. No one understands NAIA women's tennis better than CU head coach Pam Johnson. She is in her 26th year at the Lady Jacket helm and will again chair the NAIA national tournament committee. She has every reason to expect her 2002 team could top last year's accomplishments. "I think we'll be as strong as last season," said Johnson, who begins the campaign with a 199-99 dual match record. "Our top four players return and five of our top six. We have an outstanding freshman joining us that will have an immediate impact. We're excited to see what happens."
The lone senior on the roster is three-year performer Amy Gregory. She sports a career 34-16 singles record and was 12-5 last spring during her first year at the #1 position. Gregory is a two-time All-American Mideast Conference selection in both singles and doubles. Heading up the junior class is Jen Roman, who was 13-6 at #3 singles last season. A two-sport standout with a 25-10 career record, she ran for CU's NAIA national championship cross country team in the fall. Diana Locke, another junior, was a welcome addition a year ago in what was her first season of collegiate tennis. She went 15-4 at #6 singles and was an NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athlete. Amanda Olsen is a junior academically playing her second season of tennis. She won all three singles matches she played in. Sophomore Carrie Hartman moved right into the #2 spot as a rookie, posted a 14-3 record, and earned a spot on the All-AMC Team in both singles and doubles. Sophomore lefthander Sarah Rogers rolled to an impressive 14-3 mark at #4 singles during her first season. Classmate Bethany Fegley is the other returnee, who was 4-1 in singles and 3-1 in doubles.
Kristi Shuck is the one freshman who is expected to quickly rise to the top of the Lady Jacket line-up. The hard-hitting righthander has the game to take over the #1 singles position which only strengthens the CU attack. Four other first-year players join the program. The list includes sophomore Jessica Brown as well as freshmen Karla Herdzik, Katie Krumeich, and Jolene Nourse. The Lady Jackets will host eight matches this spring including five within the AMC. Cedarville will face tough NCAA Division III non-conference foes Wittenberg and Ohio Wesleyan prior to heading to Canton for the NAIA Region IX Tournament. | |||||||||||||||
