PROVO -- As the new school year began on Tuesday, the BYU Women's Tennis Team met for a chance to get to know one another and hear from head coach Craig Manning.
This year's team will be backed by experience and strength with six returning players and four new recruits. Coach Manning and assistant coach Holly Hasler have done some heavy recruiting to bring in these four new players.
The four new players include freshman Lauren Jones from Coto de Caza, California; freshman Sofia Holden from Mexico City, Mexico; sophomore Dina Naffa from Amman, Jordan and senior Barbora Zahnova from Tranava, Slovakia.
Dominique Reynolds and Leeza Klempner will assist the team this season as fifth year students.
The team will begin official fall practice on Monday September 15 and go until November 20. Coach Manning told the team to practice hard and get all the on-court experience they can. He said if they each worked hard they would earn their spot.
The last few days of practice will feature some inter-squad matches as well as some friendly competition against the men's tennis team.
"Be aggressive," Manning said. "When you practice against the men's team, be serious. They don't want to lose to you, so they'll play extra tough."
Manning said this year would be all about improvement. One change the team will see this season to aid with their constant improvement will be the presence of the athletic trainers at each practice. Manning told the team they would no longer be able to stretch out on their own in the locker room after practice. The trainers will help each girl stretch out before ending practice. This is, in part, to help prevent any future injury.
In his fifth year as the Women's Head Coach, Manning said he is confident there is not a better team in the country.
"It's all about our attitude," said Manning as he told the team he wanted to see them win the NCAA tournament in the spring. "We want to win the whole thing. But we have to have the right attitude every day. It starts here and now. If we practice and play with that attitude, we can do it."
The Cougars will open the fall season hosting the BYU Invitational September 25-27.