Coach Craig Manning and the BYU women's tennis team are poised and ready to strike for the 2006-07 season. The Cougars came in second in the Mountain West Conference in the 2005-06 season after winning the championship two years in a row and are hungry to get back on top.
"After an injury-plagued year last season we are excited to see what we can do with all but one starter returning," Manning said. "Despite the injuries our team still managed to go 20-8, finish second in the Mountain West by losing a tough match to TCU in the final and make another NCAA appearance."
In spite of the injuries, the BYU women's tennis team still finished No. 30 nationally and No.1 in the NCAA Central Region. Now with a healthy roster, the Cougars look forward to continuing the tradition they have built since Manning has been at the helm.
"Chemistry has been our strength for some time now, reaching its peak last year," Manning commented. "With the team almost completely in tact from last year and the quality of individuals coming in, we have no reason to believe our chemistry will be anything less than amazing."
As for leadership, the team lost last year's No. 1 player Olga Boulytcheva to graduation in 2006, but that does not mean the team is short on leaders.
"We really have a unique team in that they lead as a united group," Manning said. "There are times when different individuals step up and show their leadership, but this group is as unified as any I have witnessed to this point in time."
Chie Hayasaka, a Japanese native who has spent the last few years playing in Florida, and Jocelyn Jensen, a Utah native, are the new additions to the BYU roster and are expected to be significant contributors to the team.
"Hayasaka is a talented left-hander who will bring great athleticism to our program," Manning said. "Jensen brings a wealth of playing experience and the type of attitude that defines our women's tennis team."
With their sights set high, the Cougars still have their feet on the ground and recognize that the road ahead of them will not be easy. Manning, who recently received his doctorate in sports psychology, said he wants his players to focus on performance and things they can control. His focus is on recruiting quality individuals and helping them to be the best people, not just players, they can be.
"TCU has become the team to beat in our conference," Manning said. "SDSU, UNLV, New Mexico and Utah are still tough competition with Colorado State on the fringe, ready to take anyone of the top five down. Our greatest challenge, though, is balancing the commitment to the team and to the student-athletes' studies."
The Cougars will start the winter season at home on January 19 against the University of Denver and will play the University of Washington the following day, also in Provo. Washington State, a team that made a strong showing at the BYU Invitational in the fall, will come back to Provo on January 26 before the Cougars spend February playing in Kansas, Arkansas and Texas. March features home matches against Colorado, Boise State, Rice, Notre Dame, Utah, University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Utah is the only team in the region that BYU plays at home, making region play in 2006-2007 that much more difficult for the Cougars.
However, with a great combination of experienced youth and chemistry in 2006-07, Cougar tennis fans can look forward watching Lauren Jones, Anastasia Sourkova, Sofia Holden and the rest of the team make a strong run at another MWC Championship and NCAA appearance.