Women's Tennis Opens Season Tonight at Simpson

The Buena Vista women’s tennis team will face a familiar foe when it opens its 2012 fall schedule at Simpson College on Wednesday afternoon.  The team is looking to build off of its highest conference finish since 1998.

“We’re definitely aiming to be one of those teams in the top-six of the conference tournament,” says junior Liz Heffernan.  “We are still a very young team, but all of us have remained positive and confident and working hard to get to where we want to be.”

Head coach Kevin McCadams, who’s beginning his seventh season guiding the team, has been pleased with the effort put forth throughout camp and how the players have really come together.

“We have had a productive preseason,” he says.  “We have a well-balanced team athletically, and we have become a more consistent team in our singles and doubles play and have been doing a much better job in playing with composure and executing our plan.”

The Beavers finished 2-6 in the conference a year ago (5-8 in all matches) and landed a seventh-place league standing.  Heffernan and fellow junior Haley Henrichs are the team’s leading returners after each posted eight overall singles wins and combined to win 11 doubles matches.

“We’ve had a chance to grow for so long together,” says Henrichs.  “It’s very exciting to be a part of a group like this, as there is a lot of potential and everyone gets along so well.”

Sophomores Amanda Kavan and Tasha Nelson are also back after the two combined for nine overall singles wins a year ago with Nelso also claiming six overall doubles victories.

“We’re taking it match-by-match and working to go out and win each one,” adds Henrichs.

“For as young as the team is overall, communication and keeping our focus is going to be very important for us moving forward,” says Heffernan.

The two teams will square off in Indianola beginning at 3:30pm.

• Print
• Tweet