1998-99 Tennis Outlook:March 10, 1999 With no seniors and only two returnees, UWM women's tennis head coach Kelly Whalen has reason to be optimistic for the future. "This year's team does not have a lot of experience. We have no seniors and only one junior", said Whalen. "However, now they know what to expect. They know more about the game and they know what they need to work on." Only two of the eight players are returnees from last season; junior Kristin Miller (Green Bay, Wis.) and sophomore Jamie Martin (Marshfield, Wis.). Last season Miller played in the No. 3 spot in the singles line up. This year she has moved to the No. 1 seed and assumed the role of team captain. Martin played in the No. 6 seed, but this year has moved to rotating between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. Martin posted an impressive 6-1 in doubles last season, playing in the third seed. This year she has continued this trend, posting a 4-1 in second seed dual doubles. Whalen expects there to be a lot of competition for the 2-5 positions of the line-up with six new players. The newcomers include four freshman; Erin Cole (Ashwaubudon, Wis.), Julie Heling (Menasha, Wis.), Betsy Jankovich (New Berlin, Wis.), and Shauna Jansen (Union Grove, Wis.). There are also two new sophomores. Kaila Duff (Grafton, Wis.) is a transfer student from UW-Washington County and Jackie Groehler (Watertown, Wis.) is a transfer from UW-Waukesha. Despite the youth of the team, Whalen was impressed with what she has seen already this year. "I am surprised by the maturity level of this team, being able to handle the college experience," she said. "They are in a new enviroment, a new program, being able to handle the committments and sacrifices of a Division I school." The 1-3 record of the fall season does not seem to bother Coach Whalen. She knows the team will improve as they gain experience. She expects the team to end the spring season with a match record of .500 or better and that they will be in the top four in the conference.
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