2008-09 Women's Tennis Outlook

A new era for Guilford’s women’s tennis starts in 2009 as the Quakers begin play on the newly constructed McMichael Centennial Class Courts under new head coach Eddie Luck. Luck, who also serves as the Quakers’ men’s tennis coach, succeeded Jenn Anderson ’98 in August 2008 and becomes the sixth women’s coach in Guilford’s 31-season history. He returns a veteran squad that includes five letter winners from last year’s 11-9 team that placed seventh at the 2008 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championships.

Sophomore Nina Bollag is the Quakers’ top returning performer. She occupied the first-singles rung in all but two dual matches in 2008. Bollag also played on one of the Quakers’ top-two doubles tandems a year ago. Classmate Liz Killion and junior Megan Fair may move up a flight or two after posting winning records and fifth- and sixth-singles, respectively, in 2008. Fair led Guilford a year ago with a sparkling 14-3 overall singles record, including a 12-2 mark in dual matches. She took the fourth singles consolation crown at the 2008 ODAC Individual Tournament in the fall.

The return of senior Hilary Routon (left) also bolsters the middle of the lineup. Routon, who played fourth singles as a sophomore in 2007, studied in France last spring and missed the Quakers’ primary season. She won 18 matches in her first two years and reached the semifinals of last fall’s ODAC Individual Tournament at third singles.

Other veterans include seniors Morgan Howard and Jackie Goldberg, who have played sparingly to date, but will challenge for additional playing time in their final seasons. Senior Sarah Gehring, sophomore Mary Simpson and freshman Paulette Wyatt are newcomers to the team, but tasted college tennis in Guilford’s limited fall campaign. Wyatt won the consolation title in the fifth singles bracket of the 2008 ODAC Individual Tournament.

Luck looks to fill the vacancies in the middle of the Quakers’ singles’ lineup created by the graduation of third-singles specialist Caitlyn Mayton ’08. Krystal Parrish ’09, who also exhausted her eligibility last year, remains with the club as a student assistant coach, but will be missed in the second singles and first doubles flights.

Bollag and Killion filled the first doubles slot in the fall and played together in nine 2008 matches. The tandem played mostly at second doubles in their first Guilford campaigns, but could move up to the top spot this spring. Routon and Fair made up the Quakers’ second-doubles unit in the fall. While both have good doubles experience, they have not played together save for last fall. Wyatt and Gehring represented Guilford at third doubles in the fall ODAC event. Howard saw extensive time at third doubles in 2007 and compiled an 8-4 record in 12 appearances.

Guilford opens the season versus crosstown-rival Greensboro College Feb. 15 in the McMichael Centennial Class Courts debut. The Quakers open conference play Feb. 28 versus Randolph-Macon College and face two of the league’s top teams, Hollins University and Washington and Lee University, the following day in Roanoke, Va. Washington and Lee captured its record 17th ODAC title in 2008 and finished second in the NCAA Division III Championship a year after winning the title. The Generals host the league’s dual-match championship tournament April 24-26 in Lexington, Va.