Women's Outlook

The Lewis-Clark State College women’s tennis team usually gets some funny looks at the NAIA national tournament.
 

The Warriors have made the trip to nationals for 12 straight years and 15 overall, but the team usually has one of the poorer records in the field. Last year, the Warriors entered the tournament with a 9-8 record.

That record, however, is easy to explain. The Warriors’ schedule is loaded with NCAA schools and this season is no different. LCSC plays 10 matches against NCAA Division I foes and 17 overall against all levels of NCAA competition. It’s always been that way, but Fong says the gap is widening between the NCAA schools and the Warriors, largely in part to Title IX.

With only three other NAIA schools having tennis in the Pacific Northwest, the Warriors are forced to schedule area NCAA schools. Fong is grateful that the coaches from those schools are still willing to schedule LCSC and also knows these matches help his team in the long run.

“If we have a winning record with the schedule we’re playing this season, we would have done very well,” Fong says. The players do realize we play a tough schedule, and they like the challenge.”

On paper, the Warriors have the makings of a solid club. The team lost only one senior last year, and there are five on the current team.

Shefat Baishakhi (Dhaka, Bangladesh) and Jamie Chan (Federal Way, Wash.) played at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively, last year and are part of a strong senior class that also features Alyson Peck (Peshastin, Wash.) and Fong’s daughter Mei Fong (Lewiston). Peck and Mei Fong also were part of the national team last year, but Mei has been bothered by a wrist injury early this year.  Kristin Twedt (Mount Vernon, Wash.) rounds up the senior roster.

Fong says the advantage the seniors bring to the team is their consistency and knowing how to handle themselves on the court. He says they also bring a drive to the team.

“Last year was the first year where the women’s team lost its first-round match at nationals so I think they are using that loss as motivation,” Fong says. “That has provided the fuel for the returners to excel this season”.

Megan Smedley (Cheney, Wash.) is the only junior on the team and will start the season at No. 6 singles. Fong says Smedley, who is in her second year of the program, is putting her game together and becoming a solid player for the team.

The sophomore class is an interesting group led by Elaine Lee (Miri, Malaysia). Lee is the sister of men’s player Kevin Lee. She has moved up the ladder quite a bit in the fall. Chelsea Gay (The Dalles, Ore.) has shown signs of being a key contributor this season. Also, Fong’s other daughter, Kim, is on the roster and is a member of the Warrior volleyball team.

“The entire roster is filled with depth,” Fong said. “I think we have a couple of players who have set themselves apart and will be factors to be reckoned with, but then we have a whole group of them that will make us very deep.”

The freshman class features five players, including two Fong believes will make an immediate impact with the team. Rilee Moorhead (Boise, Idaho) won the Idaho State Class 5A Mixed Doubles title last season and Katharina Marsela (Jakarta, Indonesia) both cracked the top six prior to the season opener.

Kristine Hoang (Beaverton, Ore), Barbara Sneckner (Bend, Ore.) and Marina Wold (Lewiston) are in their first year in the program as well this season.

Fong says one of the keys this season is for the players not to get caught up in the wins and losses.

“But like in any sport it is nice to have the wins,” he says. “The main focus should be on what we can gain out of these season matches to be better poised and experienced.”

The NAIA, this year has gone to a conference direct qualification plan for all sports. The Warriors have been assigned to an unaffiliated group as the Frontier Conference does not sponsor tennis as a sport. It is basically the same configuration as previous years but with a slightly different name.

Like last season, the top-ranked team in this assigned group earns an automatic berth to the national tournament in May. The other teams in the group are Southern Oregon, Alberta and the College of Idaho.

Men's Outlook

After tasting some success at the NAIA national tournament last season, the Lewis-Clark State College men’s tennis team is eager to see what the 2009 season has in store for the Warriors.

LCSC again faces a tough schedule that features a number of NCAA schools, including seven from the NCAA Division I level, but the Warriors also return every player but one from last year’s squad.

A year ago, the Warriors qualified for the NAIA national tournament for the ninth consecutive year and 18^th overall and defeated No. 16 Lindenwood in the opening round before falling to eventual national champion Auburn Montgomery.

“I think the men’s team is pretty fired up,” LCSC coach Kai Fong says. “They went to nationals last year and upset a team ranked ahead of them and then lost to the No. 1 team. I’ve seen a lot of carryover from that win.”

The Warriors also return five of their top six players from last season and all seven who participated at the national tournament last year. Three of those players are seniors this season.

Although the outlook appears strong, Fong is cautious because of the high expectations. Because LCSC plays a tough schedule, wins aren’t always easy to come by, which some could be viewed in a negative way.

“You have to be careful of returning senior players coming in with expectations that it will be a great year and that they will do well because those kinds of expectations can be dangerous,” Fong says. “You don’t want players to put pressure on themselves to do well. You want them to enjoy the season so that they can play like they are capable of playing.”

Fong says he has cautioned his players about expectations and to just take one day and one match at a time and concentrate on improving.

“The nice thing about this group is that they have shown the consistency and maturity throughout the fall practices,” Fong says. “They have been stable and reliable.”

Cedric Dufour, a senior from Evian, France, played at No. 1 singles last season and is expected to do the same this year. Fong says the thing that stands out about Dufour is his work ethic and strong workouts.

Seniors Jonatan Berhane (Stockholm, Sweden) and Sebastian Kuhn (Marktoberdorf, Germany) also return as does Mickael Sopel (Toulouse, France). Berhane joined Dufour as LCSC’s top doubles squad from last year, while Kuhn and Sopel played both singles and doubles. Sopel also ran for the LCSC cross country team in the fall.

Leading the junior class are Kevin Lee (Miri, Malaysia) and Arslan Mermut (Istanbul, Turkey), both members of the national tourney squad. Lee played at No. 2 singles last season and continues to improve. Mermut is currently the team’s No. 5 singles player and if he can stay healthy, he could be a good factor. He recorded the most number of singles wins last season.

The sophomore class is led by Oliver Stone Sindayigaya (Bujumbura, Burundi). Sindayigaya joined the squad at semester break last spring and made an immediate contribution to the program. Fong says he has a different attitude this year and should continue to have an impact in the program.

Also in the sophomore class is Tobias Campbell (Prescott Valley, Ariz.) and Reed Nibley (Beaverton, Ore.). The freshman class features Richard Muszynski and Kyle Servatius, both of Clarkston, Wash., and Tyler Oram of Boise, and Zhia Chong of Kuching, Malaysia. Chong was recommended to Fong by Lee.  Ryan LaPlante of Lewiston also is a freshman and will redshirt this season to keep his freshman playing status for next season.

Fong says this is a fun group to work with.

“As long as the players don’t get caught up in their positions on the team and just understand their roles, we can make the most out of the season,” Fong says.

Fong says although LCSC has a long streak of qualifying for the national tournament, but the players can’t take it for granted and must continue to work hard in order to be successful.

Like last season, the highest-ranked team in the NAIA Top 25 poll in the assigned grouping will earn an automatic berth to the national tournament. The NAIA, this year has gone to a conference direct qualification plan for all sports. The Warriors has been assigned to an unaffiliated group as the Frontier Conference does not sponsor tennis as a sport. It is basically the same configuration as previous years but with a slightly different name. College of Idaho and the University of Alberta are the only other two men’s teams in the region. The three teams will get together for round-robin action on March 27-29 at LCSC.

“These guys like to have fun and that’s what I want from them this season, stay loose and play with fun,” Fong says.

2008 outlook