PREVIEW: Balanced Bruins Optimistic about Improvement in ‘09

NEWBERG, Ore. – As the 2009 George Fox University women’s tennis season approaches, the projected lineup for the Bruins is still very much up in the air, but it is certainly not due to a lack of talent.  In fact, it is quite the contrary, according to head coach Rick Cruz.

“We have a very competitive group of eight young ladies who are working hard and are excited about playing,” observes Cruz.  “We will probably do quite a bit of juggling with the lineup because all of them are capable of making significant contributions this spring.”

The Bruins are coming off a 4-16 campaign in 2008 and a tie for seventh in the Northwest Conference at 3-13.  Cruz believes this year’s team is capable of reaching the conference’s top six and making the NWC Tournament despite the loss of seven letter winners, several of whom played key roles last season.

“We had some unexpected losses that might have made us even better,” admits Cruz, “but the ones we have now really want to be here and are committed to doing whatever it takes to improve.”

The Bruins have five returnees, three of whom were in the regular lineup last spring.  Mollee Robinson (So., Powell Butte, Ore. / Crook County HS) was 9-10 and Shanna Lesire (Sr., Silverton, Ore. / Silverton HS) was 6-13 as they rotated between the No. 4 and No. 5 singles, while Courtney Banks (So., Stevenson, Wash. / Stevenson HS) was 3-8 at No. 6.

“Shanna, Courtney, and Mollee should all fit somewhere in the 1 through 4 positions,” says Cruz.  Joining them will be newcomer Corinne Borrelli (Fr., Roseburg, Ore. / Roseburg HS), one of the top players in the state during her high school days.

The No. 5 slot in the lineup is likely to go to returnee Betsy Ann Penman (So., Centralia, Wash. / Centralia HS) who, says Cruz, “only needs experience to become one of our top players.”

Competing for the No. 6 position will be veteran Lauren Miller (Sr., Pendleton, Ore. / Pendleton HS) and newcomers Liliya Abildayev (Fr., Woodburn, Ore. / Woodburn HS) and Thalia Delgado (Fr., Portland, Ore. / David Douglas HS).

Just as the singles lineup is undetermined for the moment, so likewise are the Bruins’ probable doubles pairings.  “We are trying a number of different combinations, and will probably continue to do so in the first part of the season,” Cruz comments.

“Our goal, of course, is to make the top six and get to the conference tournament,” Cruz adds.  “We should be competitive with most of the teams in the conference, but we won’t have a large margin for error.  We will win some games, but we have a pretty young team and it will be a successful season for us if each player continues to get better as the season progresses.”

The Bruins open up the new season this weekend with one road match and one at home.  On Saturday, the team visits Pacific Lutheran University at 1:00 p.m., then returns home to host Pacific University Sunday at 12:00 noon.