The Wildcats finished runner-up last year at the Southern Conference Tournament
Photo by: Sideline Sports
Wildcats Have High Hopes, Look to Capture 1st SoCon Title
1/22/2009 12:31:57 PM | Women's Tennis
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
Now in her 27th season at the helm, head coach Caroline Price will enter the 2009 campaign in solid position to help the program capture its first Southern Conference tournament title after finishing runner-up for the third time in the past four years last year.
The Wildcats look to make it eight straight years with a winning mark after concluding the 2008 slate with an impressive record of 19-6 overall and 7-2 in SoCon play. The 19 wins made it five straight seasons the Wildcats have tallied at least 17 victories in a season. Of coach Price's 27 seasons, the Wildcats have finished above .500 in 21 of them.
This year's club will feature the return of nine letterwinners from a season ago, including All-SoCon Second Team member Virginia Berry. Of the nine returners, six of them saw action in both singles doubles play.
Singles
Davidson was very impressive in singles, sporting a 102-41 mark, including a 40-14 record against SoCon opponents.
• Senior Michele Fanney: Split her time between No. 3 and 4 positions ... One of six 'Cats to record 10 or more wins, finishing sophomore campaign 13-10, which matched her personal-best ... Won both of her matches at No. 1 and 2.
• Senior Lora Dushanova: Had just one loss in eight matches last year ... two of those wins were vs. SoCon foes ... former All-SoCon Second Team pick, 2006 ... 41 career singles wins, along with 36 doubles victories.
• Junior Virginia Berry: Followed up solid freshman season with a 14-8 mark as sophomore ... 13 of those wins came at No. 2 ... earned All-SoCon Second Team honors last year at No. 2 singles ... had a 6-3 league mark and dropped just one of her nine matches at home
• Junior Teresa Wang: Had another stellar season last year, dropping just two matches ... finished 12-2 overall, including a perfect 5-0 (3-0 SoCon) at No. 6 ... had a team-and personal-high 11-match win streak .
• Junior Ali Gores: Expected to add depth in singles play.
• Sophomore Alison Rauh: Stepped right into the starting lineup as a freshman ... sported a 5-2 record at No. 3 & 5 ... started her collegiate career 3-0 with wins over Winthrop, Gardner-Webb and USC Upstate ... forced to miss middle of season due to an injury.
• Sophomore Ashley Mincey: Did not participate in a match as a freshman.
• Sophomore Molly Verlin: Had a strong Fall season, playing in two of the three events ... finished seventh in B2 bracket at College of Charleston Invite.
• Sophomore Samantha Galainena: Picked up first two collegiate wins last year at No. 5 with two 6-0, 6-0 victories over Winthrop and Queens ... will add depth to the starting lineup.
Newcomers
• Freshman Katharine Dicconson: Garnered MVP honors all four years of her prep tennis career ... finished Fall season with three straight singles wins at the Virginia Tech Invite
• Freshman Molly McDevitt: Played No. 1 position at Bosque School and earned five letters during prep career ... went undefeated senior season in leading her team to the school's first state championships.
• Freshman Stephani Synn: Had a nice opening debut in her first official Fall collegiate event, advancing all the way to the finals in the "B1" bracket with straight set wins over players from Charleston Southern, Charlotte and Coastal Carolina ... played both the first and second singles positions during prep career.
Doubles
Davidson's doubles play was one of the strongest in the SoCon. The Wildcats combined to go 48-21 overall (18-9 SoCon), with all three main doubles teams securing 15, 14 and 10 wins, respectively.
• No. 1 position: The Wildcats return one of their members from the No. 1 doubles team in Berry ... Berry teamed with Kelsey Linville last year for a team-best 15-8 record ... the duo had a seven-match win streak during mid-season ... the 15 wins were second-most in the league last year.
• No. 2 position: The Wildcats No. 2 team returns as Fanney and Wang teamed up for a 14-10 mark ... two of the wins came in the SoCon Tournament ... 15 times the duo gave up only three games to their opponents.
• No. 3 position: Half of the No. 3 team returns after compiling a 10-3 mark ... Rauh returns and could team up with Dushanova, who picked up six doubles wins last year ... Davidson's No. 3 team went 5-1 against league foes ... Rauh won five of her first six doubles matches and closed the year with three straight wins.
Also expected to fill in will be Galainena (1-0 last year) and any of the three freshmen.
Schedule
Davidson will open the season for the third straight year against Winthrop. The Wildcats have never lost to their first four opponents (Winthrop, Gardner-Webb, South Carolina St. and Wingate).
Besides those four non-conference teams, the Wildcats' non-conference schedule will including Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Liberty and East Carolina. Davidson will also make a return trip back to Flordia and be playing Jacksonville and North Florida for the second time each in program history.
The Wildcats will open SoCon play on the road with matches at Georgia Southern and College of Charleston, Mar. 14-15. They have defeated the Eagles the past 10 straight meetings, while defeating the Cougars last year, 4-2, in the SoCon Tournament semifinals. Davidson has finished with at least seven wins against league opponents since 2004 after going 7-2 and advancing all the way to the finals of the tournament this past season.
The SoCon Tournament takes place April 23-26 in Elon, N.C., as Davidson and the rest of the field will be looking once again to knock off Furman, who has taken 10 of the past 11 tournament titles. The Wildcats have reached the finals three times in the past four season, but have yet to bring home the tournament title.
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