FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Coming off a season finishing fourth in the Big Sky Conference, and being preseason picked fourth this year, Northern Arizona University women's tennis is ready to tackle the challenges in front of them for the 2016 campaign. The Lumberjacks, under the reign of head coach Kim Bruno entering her 11th season, look ahead to the chase for a Big Sky title after coming off a rather remarkable preseason showing.
"We have to build off the fall season," Bruno commented. "I think each individual player made a lot of progress in that stretch. If we can start where we ended, we will be a force among our opponents for sure. I don't think we reached our potential last year and we have even more potential this year."
Fall Finish
Northern Arizona competed in six fall tournaments over the span of two months at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University of Arizona, ITA Mountain Regionals in Las Vegas, Nev., University of New Mexico, Grand Canyon University and Arizona State University. All 10 Lumberjacks saw action this fall, four finishing with a winning singles record in senior Jordan Denesik, junior Sara Brown, and freshmen Hanneke Lodewijks and Eirene Granville.
In doubles play, sophomore Blanka Szavay and Lodewijks recorded an impressive 6-3 finish in doubles play. In their first appearance together, the duo upset No. 41 Ole Miss at the UNLV Fall Invitational in September. Granville also finished third in that same tournament. Juniors Marta Lewandowska and Hailey Rochin were also a force to be reckoned with on the doubles end. The pair finished with a 5-3 overall record.
The Deep End
Compared to previous seasons, Bruno is impressed with the depth of this year's squad. Although the Lumberjacks graduated two prolific players in Johanna Vang and Sarah Maria Spruch, they still return five who posted double-digit wins last season. Emelia Box, Brown, Denesik, Lewandowksa and Rochin all bring back valuable experience heading into 2016. Rochin also earned All-Big Sky Second Team honors while Lewandowska and Denesik both received honorable mention nods.
"Our returners are experienced and they know how to win," Bruno said. "I expect them to know what it takes to win the Big Sky and get our team in the Top 75. It is everyone showing up all the time and they know that. The good teams show up every single day. It's not just my No. 1 showing up; it's one through six consistently. Consistency will win us a lot of matches."
Competing in their inaugural seasons for NAU will be Granville, Lodewjiks and Julia Schepp. Granville, who comes from Sacramento, Calif., notched a perfect 37-0 record in two seasons at Inderkum High School. Lodewijks is a Breda, Netherlands native where she, too, has an impressive resume stepping into her collegiate career.
Lodewijks attended Newman College where she reached the semifinals of the national tournament and upset the No. 2 seed to get there. Rounding out the freshmen class is Schepp. Coming from Bielefeld, Germany, she competed in two tournaments this fall finishing 2-3 in singles play.
"There is no question that Hanneke and Blanka are an unbelievably talented doubles team," Bruno noted. "I think all of our newcomers are very, very talented and can make an immediate impact in our lineup. It will take them to understand what the team aspect means, because it doesn't matter if one person wins their match and the team loses."
Early Tests
Featuring a non-conference slate against the University of New Mexico, Southern Illinois, Seattle, Arizona, New Mexico State, University of Texas, El Paso, Emory University, Florida Gulf Coast, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Arizona State and Utah State, Bruno and her squad will be tested right from the get-go.
"We hold a tough non-conference schedule for a reason," Bruno said. "When we go into conference, we want to play at a very high level if not a higher level than what our conference is. Our expectation is to get in the Top 75 and beat some teams with a national ranking. But in order to do that, we have to understand how to play team tennis."
First up is No. 63 UNM and Southern Illinois on Sunday, January 31. New Mexico's Andrea LeBlanc currently sits at No. 85 in singles play, while Southern Illinois currently has one player in Yana Golovkina who has cracked national rankings at No. 114 as of Jan. 5.
"I'm looking forward to seeing them compete this weekend," Bruno commented. "New Mexico will be a good gage to see where we are at. We have to get it together quicker than we think."
Other currently ranked opponents include Arizona State at No. 27 and Arizona at No. 65. Arizona's Lauren Marker is currently No. 64 in the nation and Arizona State's Desirae Krawczyk sits at No. 75. In doubles play at No. 39 and No. 42, respectively, are Arizona State's Alexandra Osborne/Ebony Panoho and Sammi Hampton/Kassidy Jump.
The Sky's the Limit
From 2006 to 2014, NAU finished second in the Big Sky. After an uncharacteristic fourth place finish (8-3 in conference play) in 2015, the Lumberjacks will certainly be playing inspired early on.
"I think it is a reasonable expectation to win the Big Sky," Bruno said. "Honestly, it's going to depend on our growth because there is no question we still have to grow. We need to take care of the matches we have at home for sure, and when we're on the road, we have to figure out how to win a couple of those as well. It's going to take growth every single day and every time we play a match."
In Bruno's mind, there is one particular intangible that separates number one from number two.
"It's obviously going to take the talent we have, but also the commitment to one another to consistently want to win," Bruno said. "We have to understand what it takes to play one good point after the other mentally, emotionally and physically over and over again."
