Serving it up:

Lady Braves tennis team starts season on a high note

By Lisa Tyndall
Staff Writer

The Lady Braves tennis team has begun to hit the courts in preparation for their upcoming spring season, which begins in February.

The squad has already started the season off on a good note, easily beating Belmont-Abbey 8-0 on Feb. 9.

“This is the first team I have coached at UNCP in my five years that consists of all my own recruits,” said Head Coach Langley. “I am excited about that, and I am proud of them.”

The 2004 roster has six girls ready to compete this season: freshmen Natalie Dies from British Columbia, Canada, and Stacey Wood from Australia, sophomores Lauren Losoncy from Pennsylvania and Erin Saltzman from Ontario, Canada. The team’s co-captains are both juniors, Abi French from Avon, Indiana and Shannon Gentry from Mt. Airy, NC.

Assistant Coach Kapica Davis believes the benefit of having dual leadership backing them this season is that French and Gentry will balance each other out and demonstrate positive leadership for the remainder of the squad.

“Because of the girl’s seniority, the two bring different things to the table, like hard work, honesty, and spirit,” said Davis.

Langley’s main goal for the season is to accumulate 15 wins, which would break the record they set two years ago for the most wins ever in a season by the women’s tennis team.

“I really think we have a shot of doing it this year,” said Langley. “We need to win the majority of our non-conference wins and I hope to upset some Peach Belt teams in the process.”

With the team’s hard work and determination they will be putting forth this season, the lady’s surely will knockout the competition.

“This is the hardest working team I have ever coached. I hope their hard work is rewarded because I think they deserve it,” Langley said.