APPLETON, Wis. -- The Lawrence University women's tennis team enters the 2005 season with an experienced squad intent on improving its performance from a season ago.
The Vikings return five of six singles players and two of the three doubles teams from last season are also intact. The lone loss was No. 3 singles players and half of the No. 3 doubles team, Amy Gammon. Lawrence looks to improve on its ninth-place finish in last season's Midwest Conference Championships.
Leading the returning letterwinners is No. 1 singles player Susan Klumpner (Downers Grove, Ill./South), who went 9-10 last season. She also teamed with Serene Sahar (New Berlin/Eisenhower) at No. 1 doubles. Sahar was a 9-9 at No. 2 singles and posted a 9-10 record at No. 1 doubles with Klumpner.
Maggie Helms (Edina, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) returns at no. 4 singles and going 9-9 last season. Senior Adriana Teodoro-Dier (Woodruff/Lakeland Union) returns after going 10-8 at No. 5 singles last season. Loni Philbrick-Linzmeyer (Green Bay/East) was the starter at No. 6 singles last season and put together a 9-8 record.
Teodoro-Dier and Philbrick-Linzmeyer formed the No. 2 singles team last season and went 8-10. Sophomore Leila Sahar (New Berlin/Eisenhower) teamed with Gammon at No. 3 doubles last season and finished the season 9-10. Also returning for the Vikings is Gulsun Inal (Istanbul, Turkey/Koc).
The Vikings have an influx of new talent, with freshmen Emily Dalton (Hartford/Hartford
Union), Brighton Fowler (Bend, Ore./Summit), Tara Lahtinen (Gladstone, Mich./Gladstone),
Hanah McCarthy (Bozeman, Mont./Bozemen), Lisa Ritland (Lodi/Lodi), Kelly Salt
(Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey), and Emma Kent (Bellingham, Wash./Sehome).
Sophomore Daniella Teodoro-Dier (Woodruff/Lakeland Union) also is new to the
squad.
Lawrence, which finished with a 9-7 record in dual matches last season, opens
the 2005 campaign on Monday when it travels to Knox College and Monmouth College.