Spartan Girls 2004 Tennis Update
Germantown, OH (August 25, 2004) School has started and the fall sports teams are on a roll, especially the Lady Spartans tennis team who got out their rackets last Tuesday when they traveled to Stebbins.
After taking down Stebbins 3-2 in the season opener, they buzzed on to Monroe where they shut out the Hornets 5-0 before returning home to whistle Dixie by a score of 3-2.
It's been a promising start to the girls' season with their 3-1 record despite falling 5-0 to perennial powerhouse Oakwood, Tuesday night.
"Oakwood has always been a really tough team, even when I was playing," Coach Krista Heys said.
"It's like they come out of the womb with a racket," Heys added with a smile.
This year the team only fielded a Varsity squad with a total of nine girls.
"The Varsity squad only plays seven matches, so the two extra girls rotate in and out of second doubles," Heys explained.
For now, Megan DeVilbiss is playing in first singles, Chelsea Gibbs is in the second doubles spot and Allison Mikesell is handling duties in the third singles spot. Jenni Gibbs and Leanne Wetzel are playing together in first doubles, while Amanda Wilkins and Emily Hammond are rotating time at second doubles with Morgan Peters and Megan Williams.
"These spots can change from day to day, but for right now this is where everyone has been playing," Heys said.
Before the season began Heys admits she was a little nervous, but the girls desire to improve took over, calming any of Coach Heys' concerns.
"At first I was a little nervous during two-a-days, but then they really gave it their all. They give 100 % at every practice and 110% at every match. I just couldn't ask for a better group of girls," Heys mentioned.
The improvement is already noticeable, as the squad took down Dixie, a team who they fell to last season.
"We beat Dixie who beat us last year, and they didn't lose a lot of their players to graduation," Heys stated.
Drills, drills and more drills is what Heys feels the key to the girls' drastic improvement.
"They have improved tremendously since the first day of practice. I had made the decision to work on drills and have the same routine at practice everyday. We did drills continuously and I think that that made the difference," Heys said.
The Spartans are looking to get another victory tonight, as they play Franklin at home.
"I'm feeling pretty good about tomorrow because Franklin hasn't been really strong in the past and the girls were really positive after losing tonight. They said want to be that good. Their attitudes are just tremendous," Heys noted.
