Last season four seniors anchored the LSU women’s tennis team which finished with an overall record of 12-12 and failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years. This season four freshmen and two sophomores, who did not play last year, have coach Tony Minnis’ expectations very high for the upcoming season. Minnis said hard work by the returning players in the offseason and a recruiting class ranked No. 17 in the nation by tennisrecruiting.net have him expecting a great season. “I think people will enjoy coming out and watching us play this year,” Minnis said. “I think we have a nice mix and some good talent so I think people will be impressed with what they see.” Although this team may have the talent to win, the holes left behind by the four seniors may be a cause for concern. The Lady Tigers will have to replace the team’s previous No. 2 and No. 4 starters Marina Chiarelli and Camila Caliari, both of whom played pivotal roles last year. LSU also will have to find a replacement for Daysi Espinal, who tied for most wins on the team with 17 and was named to the All-Louisiana second team for her accomplishments. The team will also have to replace one of its strongest doubles players in Lauren Seaman, who together with junior Tiffany Tucker had earned a 2005 preseason top-50 doubles ranking. Although the team lost its senior leadership, Minnis said he is confident this new group of players has the talent to put together a stellar season. “I think it’s good that we have a younger team because they are very hungry and very focused, and I think that’s definitely a positive thing,” Minnis said. “It’s good to have experience, but also sometimes when you’re young, you can be very fearless and very hungry in what you are trying to accomplish. I think this group has shown a heavy amount of desire to get good.” Leading a recruiting class that featured three five-star recruits is sophomore Megan Falcon. Falcon lost a year of eligibility last year after choosing to play in the world tennis circuit. During last year’s competition, Falcon competed against some of the world’s greatest tennis players and got her world ranking as high as 331. Minnis said Falcon is one of the best recruits he has ever had and the best since 2000-2001 All-American Bruno Colosio. “I think Megan is a tremendous player with tremendous abilities,” Minnis said. “She got her world ranking up to 331, which is outstanding. We are lucky to have her because she was very heavily recruited around the country.” Along with Falcon, five-star freshmen Nicole Kantor and Hannah Robinson, as well as incoming freshmen Sloane Mathis and Ashley Murdock will see their first collegiate action Friday at the Maryland Invitational in College Park, Md. The tournament will be the Lady Tigers’ first of the fall, which has many of the players fired up. Sophomore Mykala Hedberg said she has been waiting for this tournament since last season ended and cannot wait to see what the team brings to the table. “I am looking forward to the tournaments coming up, not only to see how much I have improved since last year but to see how everyone plays as a whole,” Hedberg said. “This is the first time we are going to be able to see the freshmen in competition, so I think it will be really good to see how they react to it and how they take it.” Hedberg, the team’s No. 1 starter from a year ago, said stepping up as a leader on the team in just her second season is something she enjoys and embraces. “I like [being a leader],” Hedberg said. “We had four senior leaders last year, and I was just coming in and just trying to settle in and everything. But this year I can step up because I can relate to these girls because I was just in the same position they are in now.” Murdock said practices have gone well for the team and she is ready to play at the collegiate level. “It is so exciting [to be a freshman],” Murdock said. “I can’t wait for this weekend because it’s our first big tournament. I just hope we get a good start into the fall.” Only time will tell how good this team will be, but Minnis said this tournament is something he has been looking forward to and he will use this weekend’s matches as a measuring stick for how his team is progressing. “I think if we play as hard as we’ve been practicing, we’ll be fine,” Minnis said. “It’s always good to stop beating up on each other and go and try and face some different competition.”
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