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By Tom Ramstetter, NKU Sports Information HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Head coach Geoff Crawford sees two teams that have improved from last season when he looks at his 2008 men’s and women’s tennis teams. The men, for instance, are deeper, stronger, and better conditioned than they were last year. “We are lacking the really strong player at No. 1,” Crawford said, “but we have a lot of depth. Everybody is a returning letterman. We're a better team than we were last year. People have gotten stronger.” The men finished 8-10 overall last season, but 3-1 in the Great lakes Valley Conference. “Our goals are we finish where we were last year or better,” Crawford, in his 18th year, said. “Our goal is to win the conference. Our hopes are also to go to the NCAA Tournament.” The men have gotten off to a troubling 0-2 start in which they have only secured one win in a match, but the optimism hasn’t been tempered and the future beyond this season looks bright. “We've become smarter players over the last year,” Crawford said. “The conditioning has also been better. The people that are leaders are going to be here next year.” Among those leaders are juniors Felipe Rossetti (Cincinnati Princeton High School) and Fritz Dlabik (Atlanta, Ga.). Those two will be returning next year, along with juniors Josh Fudala (Cincinnati Turpin), Michael Volkov (Cincinnati Sycamore) and Jason Kramer from Covington Catholic. Sophomore Jon Raley from Louisville is also on the roster. Highlands High School’s Reed Sparks is the lone senior on the roster, but Crawford says he too will play a very important role.
The women, meanwhile, have only one senior and one junior among four sophomores and three freshmen. Still, Crawford likes the depth. “The women are led by Stephanie Isaacs,” Crawford said. “She was (Co-) Freshman of the Year last year. She is committed to improvement.” Isaacs, a graduate of Waynesville (Ohio) High School, posted a singles record of 14-2 last season playing primarily as the No. 1 and teamed with Emily Okerson to finish with a 13-3 doubles mark. Isaacs was 4-1 in singles competition against GLVC opponents, yet the Norse finished with a 5-10 record overall and were 1-4 in the GLVC. “We added depth with four new girls to a team hurt by injuries last year, now we have depth. Isaacs on the court has really stepped up, along with Emily Okerson. She worked hard in the off-season. We're expecting a really good season out of her.” Crawford’s women are 0-1 so far on the season, but the coach expects a better year than 2007 based in part on the efforts and talents of the newcomers. “Kristen Sunday has come in and done a good job,” Crawford said. “Patricia (Brinck) and Maggie (Koetter) have transferred in and are going to be very big assets. It's allowed our women to have such good depth this year.” Isaacs, Brinck (Cincinnati
McNicholas), and Koetter (Cincinnati Sycamore) are all sophomores.
Cincinnati Mercy High
School’s Michelle Schirmann is also
a sophomore. Okerson, from Cincinnati Anderson High School, is the team’s
only senior, and Devan Yates of Beechwood is the lone junior. Both teams will return to the courts over Spring Break in Hilton Head, S.C. |
