2007-08 Women's Tennis Outlook

Guilford's women's tennis team is coming off of its most successful campaign since 1997. The 2006-07 Quakers posted a 12-6 overall record (5-4 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)), finished sixth in the regular-season league standings and placed seventh at the ODAC Tournament. Guilford has recorded consecutive 10-plus win seasons for the first time since 1998.  Six letter winners return from last year's squad.

Guilford began 2007 strong, winning nine of its first 11 matches, including wins over cross-town rival Greensboro College and conference-foes Lynchburg College and Randolph-Macon College. The Quakers also upended Emory & Henry College for the first time since 1998.  With the bulk of last year’s team returning, Guilford looks to build on the foundation laid in 2006-07.

Here is a preview of the Quakers by class:

SENIORS: Captain Krystal Parrish returns for her senior season and is likely to play first singles in 2008. Parrish, the team’s 2006-07 Coaches Award winner, is in search of a new partner at first doubles. Caitlin Mayton, Guilford’s 2006-07 Most Valuable Player, compiled a 12-5 dual record at third singles last year and reached the third-singles semifinals the ODAC Individual Championships last fall. Mayton will challenge for time at first or second doubles and second or third singles this season.

JUNIORS: Guilford has its own version of the Williams sisters, identical twins Lia & Jami Williams. Lia, who went 12-2 in dual matches in 2007 and earned the team’s Most Improved Player Award, returns for her third season and will play somewhere in the middle of the line up at singles and at third doubles. Jami, transferred to Guilford from Salisbury University last fall and should challenge for similar positions at both singles and doubles.  Hilary Routon, who played fourth singles and second doubles last season, is traveling abroad this semester, and will return to play her senior year.

SOPHOMORES: Megan Fair and Morgan Howard, who shared the sixth-singles position and teamed at third doubles in 2007 will likely contend for the same positions this season. Fair reached the Flight 8 finals of the 2007 ODAC Individual Championships before dropping a three-set match to Washington and Lee University’s Caroline Bouvay. Freshman Jackie Goldberg and Howard made it to the Flight 4 semifinals at the same event.

FRESHMEN: North Carolina natives Nina Bollag and Liz Killion form two-thirds of Guilford’s freshman class.  Bollag, from Concord, spent the fall semester at the University of Colorado before transferring to Guilford in the spring.  Killion, from Cary, will provide needed depth and competition at doubles while challenging for sixth singles.  Goldberg, who had a strong doubles showing in the fall, will challenge for sixth singles and third doubles.

The Quakers begin 2008 at ODAC-rival Emory & Henry jumping into the heart of their conference schedule with eight of their 10 ODAC matches to open the season.  Home matches against, Randolph College and Roanoke College highlight two of the first-six competitions of the season.   Non-conference matches against Averett University, Ferrum College, North Carolina Wesleyan College and cross-town rival Greensboro College should prepare Guilford for the season-ending ODAC Tournament on April 24-27 at Sweet Briar College.  The tournament will consist of a single-team bracket with seeds based on the regular-season conference standings.