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Aug. 5, 2009Tyler excited about first season at Central
It didn’t take long for coach Steve Tyler to get enthused about the Central College women’s tennis squad.
Tyler, who was named head men’s and women’s tennis coach in January, liked what he saw from the team’s spring limited workouts.
“We started late but after one semester, I’m very excited,” Tyler said. “We’ve got the potential to play with everybody in the Iowa Conference. We’re looking for the next couple of years to be much improved.”
Four of the six varsity singles players are back from a 10-8-1 squad, that placed third in the league. Three returning players earned all-conference distinction in doubles.
Four-year starter Hilary Baehr has graduated, leaving a hole at No. 1 singles. Senior Faith Bliss will likely move up a notch from No. 2, where she was 5-7 while posting a 10-13 mark in doubles. She received all-league honors in doubles after gaining singles recognition in 2007.
Also back is sophomore Kayla Donner, the team’s freshman of the year who played No. 3 singles. She also earned all-conference doubles honors. Junior Stephanie Gibbons, another all-conference honoree, was at No. 4 where she was 11-7 while posting a 16-7 doubles record, and sophomore Emily Swartz was at No. 5 singles. Swartz was the team’s victories leader in singles at 13-8 and was 10-10 in doubles.
Other returning varsity contenders include sophomores Trinh Le and Riley Taylor.
“We’ll be very solid,” Tyler said. “And we’ve got some incoming freshmen who will probably help.
“We’re working hard to set up a system that will help us climb to the top of the Iowa Conference and compete nationally.”
Tyler thinks this year’s players are capable of making the first step on that ascent.
“I’m very impressed with their attitude,” he said. “They want to compete and are working very hard to become physically fit. They’ll set the standard very high.”
But Tyler expects that Coe and Luther will remain the league’s top teams this fall, with Central again battling for third.