Tennis to Rely on Returners’ Experience

Nebraska Wesleyan University tennis teams are ready to go this year, with both men's and women's teams coming off GPAC titles from last spring.

The defending conference champion women come off a 12-11 season (7-2 GPAC). The squad expects a rebuilding season this year.

Don't count the women's team out of contention for a repeat, though, as young players continue to improve and make a name for themselves.

"Last year we lost four out of our top six girls, so we were obviously a little worried about the season, but we have some amazing freshmen, and everyone else has really stepped up this year," says Chelsea Henslee, a returning Junior All-GPAC player at no. two singles and no. two doubles.

Returning players from the GPAC championship team include Henslee and Lexi Zoucha, an honorable mention All-GPAC player last spring. As far as training plans in the winter go, a new lifting program and court time is how the women will keep form.

On the men's side, the same rebuilding year will be necessary to replace what last year was a dominating team at the conference tournament. With every NWU player getting an All-Conference honor and the loss of last year's #1 singles player Jamie Holmes.

"I don't think we'll be as strong as last year primarily because we won't have Jaimie Holmes, who was our no. one single last year," says tennis coach Dr. Rick Harley, who last year was selected as the Hauff Mid-America Sports/ GPAC Coach of the Year. Although the team is young with no seniors this year, big contributions are expected from returning sophomore Nathan Hoppe, an All-GPAC selection last year, as well as returning junior and GPAC honorable mention Michael Larson.

Since team chemistry is a vital part of success, Coach Rick Harley says, "the kids all get along real well. With no seniors this year, they have a great junior class to look up to."

With the women, Henslee says, "even though we haven't spent much time together, we will be a strong team. We will catch a lot of other teams off guard."