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Surprises could be in store at conference tournament Release Date:
October 15 , 2009
MONMOUTH, Ill. —
Dramatic
improvements by the Monmouth College women’s tennis team over the
last two weeks could result in some surprises at this weekend’s
Midwest Conference Tournament in Madison, Wis.
A loss to Knox on
Sept. 17 shattered any hopes for the team to improve on last year’s
third place finish. The loss effectively eliminated Monmouth from
Friday’s team portion of the meet, meaning the best the Scots can
hope for is a fifth place finish after the weekend’s singles and
doubles competition.
A sophomore and a
freshman could make the most noise for the Scots in singles
competition. In doubles, a tandem with just four matches under their
belts could surprise a few onlookers.
“We’ve had some
players really step up their games in the last couple of weeks,”
said coach Patrick Montgomery. “We’re playing much better
heading into conference than we were two weeks ago.”
Leading the charge
will be sophomore Amy Unzicker – last year’s No. 2 singles
champion who has moved up to the Scots’ No. 1 position. Unzicker
compiled a 6-3 record this season against conference opponents. The
talented sophomore fell in the season opener to defending No. 1
champion Liz Larson of Lawrence, but last weekend, she bested 2007
No. 1 singles champion Hannah Perwin of Beloit.
“Amy took her
level of play up a step Monday at Quincy,” reported Montgomery after
the squad faced the Division II team. “It will be interesting to see
how she’s seeded. There are probably at least four players who could
win conference. She played extremely well Monday and if she
continues that play, she could go deep in the tournament.”
Bumped up from No.
4 at the start of the year to No. 3 due to an injury, freshman
Nicole Anson has made the most out of her opportunity. Her 4-5
record at No. 3 could be a bit misleading. She came through with a
three-set win last weekend against Beloit and gave her Division II
opponent from Quincy a scare in Monday’s first set before falling in
two straight.
“If Nikki can
bring the game she brought to the Beloit match, she could surprise a
few people,” said Montgomery. “I’ve been very pleased with the way
she has stepped up into the No. 3 position.”
Another surprise
could come from No. 2 Kimi Wegner. Like Anson, her record is
a bit deceiving. Her 5-8 record doesn’t reflect the improvements she
has made in the last few weeks. The junior battled 2007 No. 2
champion Erika Zevin of Beloit to three sets before falling last
Saturday.
“Kimi has steadily
improved,” said Montgomery. “She’s stepped up her quickness and
agility. She’s reacting much quicker now.”
In doubles
competition, the No. 1 team of Unzicker and Wegner has the Scots’
best tournament record at 2-1, but the newly formed No. 2 tandem of
Anson and senior Sarah McLinden could provide the biggest
surprise. The duo has played just four matches together, and despite
an 0-4 record, the pair has bonded quickly, nearly picking up wins
against Beloit and Quincy, falling 8-6 and 8-5, respectively.
“They could
surprise some people,” said Montgomery. “Sarah is playing a high
quality of tennis today as opposed to two weeks ago. She has also
been a stabilizing force for Nikki. She is Nikki’s third partner
this year.”
The Scots may
surprise the conference field, but it won’t be any surprise to
Montgomery if a few of his players advance deep into the tournament.
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