Even though it’s been a decade of dominance in Region I for the Lewis-Clark State College men’s and women’s tennis teams during the 2000s, veteran Warrior coach Kai Fong downplays the Warriors’ accomplishments. 

LCSC won seven straight NAIA Region I titles during the 2000s, and then when the NAIA changed its national qualifying standards last year, the Warrior teams still earned a berth by being the highest-ranked Region I team. 

Overall, the LCSC men’s program has qualified for the national tournament17 times and the women have been to nationals 14 times under Fong. The men’s team also won 10 Region I titles, including seven straight before the tournament was stopped last year, while the women won 10 straight titles until last year. 

As dominating as that is, and the fact that the Warriors are consistently ranked in the NAIA Top 25 polls, Fong says he doesn’t want his teams to pay attention to that stuff. 

“I don’t think we are, by any means, a powerhouse, anywhere, anytime,” he says. “These programs do have a good streak going, but I do not like to focus on the streaks because each year is a little different. I always tell them we are always a big target for the teams in the Region who want to go to nationals. Everybody wants to go to nationals, and so do we.” 

To get back to nationals this season, the Warriors will have some work to do, especially on the men’s side. Then there’s the schedule, which not only includes an annual trip to California to play some of the top-ranked NAIA teams, but also includes 18 matches against NCAA schools, including the first 17 matches of the season. The Warriors play six matches against NCAA Division I teams, including two in the season openers. The women open on Saturday, Jan. 19, against the University of Idaho, while the men open on Monday, Jan. 21, against Gonzaga University. Both matches will be at the LCSC Tennis Center. 

Because of its schedule, LCSC’s season record may not always look that good. Last year, the men went 9-10 in the regular season, while the women were 8-9. But the women made it to the final 16 of the national tournament. 

“When we get to the national tournament and are introduced at the banquet, we’re probably one of two teams that has a losing record,” Fong says. “And I know people wonder why we are at the national tournament, but then when we get on the court, we are just as good as many of them out there.” 

Because there are so few NAIA tennis teams in the Pacific Northwest, Fong is thankful to have Gonzaga, Idaho, Eastern Washington, and Montana State willing to play the Warriors. 

“I think it’s great for the team to play all these schools around the region,” Fong says. “I’m very thankful for all the teams that schedule us. They don’t need to schedule us. I think it’s just nice to have that network of coaches in the region to keep playing because it benefits everyone. To me, any time you play a match, it is going to help. It’s going to help your team develop. So when we go through a season, I always tell the team, look, let’s not focus on the records. You can’t look at the record because it is not reflective of how good we are. Sometimes we are playing teams who are really out of our league.” 

 Below is a preview of both the 2008 men’s and women’s tennis teams. 

MEN

The problem this season for the Warriors is that it could be considered a rebuilding year. The Warriors lost more than half of their squad with the graduation of five seniors, including four of the six players who took part in the national tournament a year ago. 

“Losing that many players, it’s tough to know what to expect,” says Fong. “What I know of this team is that it’s been a fun team to work with and the new people we’ve brought in are a lot of fun. I think they are going to surprise some people. Anytime you lose 4-5 seniors, I think people might think you are not as good. I see this being inspiration for this team.” 

Key returners for the Warriors are junior Cedric Dufour of Evian, France and sophomore Kevin Lee of Miri, Malaysia. Dufour played No. 3 singles at the national meet last year, but also played at the No. 1 spot at times. The other two returnees from last year are senior Ali Faris Mohamed of Male, The Maldives, and Sebastian Kuhn, a sophomore from Marktoberdorf, Germany. 

“The one thing I can say about the men’s team is that there is never a dull moment,” Fong says. “These guys are such characters. And they bring so much flavor to the team, not only with different cultures, but different backgrounds.” 

The four new players on the team are also international players, but two are transfers from Virginia Intermont College, which dropped its tennis program after last season. Jonathan Berhane, from Stockholm, Sweden, and Arslan Mermut, a sophomore from Istanbul, Turkey, are the two transfers and join fellow newcomers Mickael Sopel of Toulouse, France, and Oliver Stone Intwari Sindayigaya of Bujumbura, Burundi, who arrived this semester and is a freshman.

“It’s going to be a different team,” Fong says. “With so many new players and five players gone from last year, someone is going to step up. I know that. Who it will be, I think will be a nice surprise. It’s just a matter of the right moment, but someone is going to step up at some point for us.” 

WOMEN

The Warriors could have one of their deepest women’s teams. Not only are there 16 players listed on the roster, but six of the seven players who participated at the national tournament return. The team lost Maria Resende, a senior who played at No. 1 singles, but Fong says Shefat Baishakhi, a junior from Dhaka, Bangladesh, is ready to fill that role. 

Also returning from playing at nationals are senior Kaylan Crane of Brewster, Wash, juniors Jamie Chan of Federal Way, Wash., Alyson Peck of Peshastin, Wash., and Mei Fong of Lewiston,. Mei, and her sister, Kim, are both daughters of Fong, but Kim will not participate in tennis this season after suffering a knee injury during the volleyball season. 

“I think we are going to be very deep throughout on the women’s team,” Fong says. “We have a strong junior class (five juniors) and they are a bunch that works hard. I think they are ready to step up.” 

Among the newcomers, Kristin Twedt is a junior and played the past two seasons at Skagit Valley Community College. Megan Smedley is a sophomore and a transfer from Eastern Washington, and the freshmen class includes Elaine Lee, sister of Kevin on the men’s team, Chelsea Gay from The Dalles, Ore., and two players from Clarkston, Wash., in Lindsey Blankinship and Michelle Strom. 

“It’s going to be a year where as long as they figure out their roles on the team, I think they will be an exciting team to watch,” Fong says. 

Fong says he’s looking forward to the California trip because of the tough competition and it also will be the team’s first matches outside. 

“It’s a tough trip because you are not playing at home, it’s tough because you are playing against teams that are ranked in the NAIA Top 15, it’s tough because you are playing every day, and it’s tough because you are always on the move, never playing in the same spot the next day,” Fong says. “So you either make or break your ranking at that point.” 

LCSC Tennis Schedules

MEN

Jan. 21– Gonzaga, 2 p.m. 26 – Whitman, 9 a.m.; Idaho, 5 p.m. 31 – Montana State-Billings, 6 p.m.

Feb. 1 – Whitworth, 4 p.m. 2 – Montana State-Billings, 8 a.m. 8 – vs. Linfield at Walla Walla, 4 p.m. 9 – vs. Pacific Lutheran at Walla Walla, 4 p.m. 11 – vs. UC Santa Cruz, Walla Walla, 10 a.m. 22 – at Montana State, 6 p.m. 23 – vs. Eastern Washington at Bozeman, 9 a.m.; vs. Montana State-Billings at Bozeman, 1 p.m. 28 – Alberta, TBA

March 1 – Alberta, TBA. 13 – Spokane Community College, 3 p.m. 18 – at Azusa Pacific, 1 p.m. 19 – at Concordia-Irvine, 1 p.m. 20 – at Point Loma Nazarene, 1 p.m. 21 – at Vanguard, 2 p.m.

April 13 – at Gonzaga, noon. 19 –Green River Community College, 6 p.m. 20 – LCSC Men’s Open, 1 p.m.

May 12-16 – NAIA national tournament, Mobile, Alabama.

WOMEN

Jan. 19 – Idaho, 10 a.m. 31 – Montana State-Billings, 2 p.m.

Feb. 1– Montana State-Billings, 8 a.m.  2 – Whitman, 4 p.m. 9 – Whitworth, 1 p.m. 28 – Tournament with Southern Oregon, College of Idaho, and Alberta, TBA.

March 1 – Tournament with Southern Oregon, College of Idaho, and Alberta, TBA. 2 – College of Idaho, 9:30 a.m.; Eastern Washington, 2 p.m. 11 – Spokane Community College, 3 p.m. 18 – at Azusa Pacific, 1 p.m. 19 – at Concordia-Irvine, 1 p.m. 20 – at Point Loma Nazarene, 1 p.m. 21 – at Vanguard, 2 p.m. 25 – UC Santa Cruz, 2:30 p.m. 30 – at Whitman, 3 p.m.

April 5 – at Gonzaga, 10 a.m. 19 – vs. Eastern Washington at Moscow, TBA; at Idaho, TBA. 20 – Green River Community College, 9 a.m.

May 12-16 – NAIA national tournament, Mobile, Alabama.