2003-04 Women's Tennis Preview
9/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Sept. 18, 2003
Winston-Salem, N.C. - Every collegiate athletic program at one time or another experiences a tough season. The Wake Forest women's tennis team dealt with one of those seasons in 2002-03, but it is last season that will inspire the Demon Deacons toward bigger and better things in 2003-04.
"Last season, we learned that there are no easy matches," said Head Coach Brian Fleishman. "Every opponent on our schedule wanted to beat us because of our winning tradition. When the time comes for the girls to be tough, all they have to do is think about last year."
While some coaches that experience a difficult season hope to erase it from their memory and the memory of their team, Fleishman knows that the frustrations from last season can help the team on its road to resurgence in the ACC and the national spotlight.
"This year we want revenge on those that got the best of us last year," said Fleishman. "The players are hungry. Last year's tough season made the girls realize that we must work hard everyday and be ready for a battle every time out."
Wake Forest will take the court this season as one of the more veteran and experienced squads in the ACC. In fact, Wake Forest is the only team in the ACC that returns its entire lineup from one season ago. This is something Fleishman is quick to point out.
"We definitely enter this season with a lot of experience under our belts," said the sixth year head coach. "Everybody played both singles and doubles last season. With that comes a lot of match toughness. We are battle-tested."
Among the six letterwinners that return from last season are two seniors Aimee Smith and Elizabeth Proctor. Fleishman knows the two seniors are key ingredients to the Deacs' success.
Smith, a senior from Norcross, Ga., won 16 doubles matches and picked up 15 singles wins. She captured 11 doubles wins in dual play, including a 4-3 ACC record and won nine singles matches in dual play. Smith played every doubles match but one with partner Karin Coetzee as the team's No. 1 doubles team.
"Aimee is a great all court player with good hands at the net," said Fleishman. "Her eagerness to win will spread to the rest of the team. She is a very hard worker on-and-off the court."
Proctor, a native of Myrtle Beach, S.C., earned All-ACC honors after winning No. 4 singles flight at the 2003 ACC Tennis Championships. She finished the year with 14 singles wins and five doubles victories. Proctor won eight singles matches in dual play, four against ACC opponents, and won five doubles matches in dual play, three against ACC opponents.
"Elizabeth has won a lot of key matches for us over her career at Wake Forest," said Fleishman. "She is willing to stay out on the court as long as it takes to get the job done. Liz is a model student-athlete. She will be counted on to contribute in singles this season. Liz is one of the best baseliners in college tennis."
Wake Forest also returns junior co-captains Katie Martzolf and Karin Coetzee. This duo played #1 and #2 last season. They gained limitless experience in those roles. Martzolf and Coetzee will also see time as the top doubles team for the Deacs. In fact, they enter the 2003-04 season as the 49th best doubles tandem in the entire country.
Martzolf, a junior from Indianapolis, Ind., won 21 doubles matches and earned 16 singles victories. She went 14-2 in dual doubles play, including a 5-2 ACC record. Martzolf played all but three dual doubles matches at No. 2 and all but three dual singles matches at No. 2. She enters this season as the 81st best singles player in the nation.
"Katie is a solid all court player that can run forever," said Fleishman. "She is good at finding ways to beat her opponents. She will be expected to lead by example this season and show the rest of the team to never give up and keep on fighting."
Coetzee, a junior from Bloemfontein, South Africa, led the Deacs with 20 singles wins and was named the team's MVP. Coetzee was nationally ranked in singles all spring, reaching as high as 62nd. She played every dual singles match but one in the top position. Coetzee won nine dual singles matches, including a 4-4 mark in the ACC. She also ended the year with 16 doubles wins, including 11 in dual play and a 4-3 ACC record.
"Karin is one of the most talented players that I have ever worked with in my time as a college coach," said Fleishman. She has the ability to play at the baseline or put pressure on her opponents by coming to the net. She can do things with the ball that other players can only dream about. I expect her to have a breakthrough year. She really has the ability to be an All-American."
Danielle Schwartz is the third and final junior on the roster.
Schwartz, a junior from Livingston, N.J., led the team with 22 doubles victories. She had 14 singles wins, including 10 in dual play. Schwartz won 15 dual doubles matches and went 5-2 in ACC doubles play. She played at No. 2 in doubles mostly and floated around from No. 3 to No. 6 all spring in singles play logging nine matches at No. 3 and eight and No. 5.
"Danielle is our secret weapon," said Fleishman. "She has put in the most time on the court over the summer and has improved immensely. Her singles game is now at another level. She has made changes in her game that will allow her to compete at a high level this year. Danielle might have the best hands in the country."
Sandie Knight also returns, gaining quality experience as freshmen a year ago.
Knight, a sophomore from Adamstown, Austraila, joined the team second semester of last year, but still managed to win seven singles matches playing mostly at No. 5 and No. 6 positions. She played all but two doubles matches with partner Elizabeth Proctor at the No. 3 slot, going 3-3 in ACC doubles play.
"Sandie has come back this season on a mission to tear up the college scene," said Fleishman. "She has worked on her game over the summer and now is hitting the ball cleaner and more consistently. Her baseline game will definitely give her opponents trouble this year. She also forces the opponent to beat her because she will never beat herself."
Depth, which is critical to the success of any college tennis team, is the main difference between this season's team and last season. A trio of highly touted freshmen gives Wake Forest the depth needed to win consistently.
"Ashlee Davis, Alex Hirsch and Blakely Offutt will help this team to get back on the right track," said Fleishman. "With these highly touted freshmen, I expect to be back in contention for an ACC Championship and return trip to the NCAA Tournament."
"Ashlee is a powerful groundstroker that has the potential to beat anybody in the country on any given day," said Fleishman. "She is one of the strongest and most athletic players that has come to Wake Forest. She will be expected to contribute in singles and doubles. I expect Ashlee to play high in the lineup."
"Alex is one of the best all court players coming to college this fall," said Fleishman. "She is short in stature, but big on the court. Her powerful groundstrokes, combined with her soft hands at the net, will provide her with the ability to play high in the lineup and do well in college tennis."
"Blakely is the final ingredient to the recipe of success for our team," said Fleishman. "She is a good all court player that hits two-handed groundstrokes from both sides. She has a lot of power on her strokes and has the ability to come to the net. I have never seen a freshman that is so eager to work hard and put in the time to get better."
Another key to success this season will be the challenges present in the Demon Deacons schedule. While the challenges are significant, Fleishman feels the team will respond to the task at hand.
"A good, tough schedule makes a team great," said Fleishman. "You need good competition to see where your team stands and what improvements you still need to make. It is the only way to get better. Going out on a weekly basis to play good competition ensures that everybody on the team gets quality matches. By the end of the season, the team is ready to face anybody."
It is obvious that the expectations surrounding the 2003-04 Wake Forest women's tennis season are high, but anything the Deacs' achieve this year will be in part to the experiences gained from a year ago.
Players Mentioned
