> SOUTHERN INDIANA — BORDEN

• COACH: Ross Shauver.

• RETURNING PLAYERS: Erin Mikel, Sr.; Allison Rademacher, Sr.; Erika Frascella, Sr.; Paige Kruer, Jr.; Morgan Mast, Jr.; Abby Ellis, So.; Sara Hurst, So.

• TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Bedford North Lawrence, Providence, New Albany, Silver Creek; New Albany Invitational.

• OUTLOOK: The Braves lost only one player to graduation, so they will be the favorites to win a fifth Southern Athletic Conference title in a row. Shauver also hopes his veteran team can compete for the New Albany Invitational championship and the Silver Creek Sectional title. Mikel and Rademacher will be tough to beat at the top two singles spots.

• SHAUVER SAYS: “With the loss of just one varsity player from last year, we are expecting to have a pretty good year. We hope to be extremely competitive during the regular season and shoot for a first- or second-place finish in the New Albany Invitational, which will be tough. Our other goals are to win conference and try to compete with Silver Creek for sectional.”



CHARLESTOWN

• COACH: Chris Ryan.

• RETURNING PLAYERS: Emily Shaw, Sr.; Sarah Trotter, Sr.; Bailey Masingo, So.; Haley Trinkle, So.; Sarah Embry, So.; Erica Broady, So.; Sabina Higazy, So.; Marissa Knoebel, So.

• TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Silver Creek; Charlestown Invitational.

• OUTLOOK: Even though the majority of their roster is underclassmen, the Pirates do not lack experience. Shaw and Trotter are seniors and the sophomores gained lots of experience last season as freshmen. Charlestown’s goal is to finish in the upper half of the Mid-Southern Conference.

• RYAN SAYS: “We want to improve our tennis games. We have a young team, but these young players had great middle school coaching and a lot of varsity experience as freshmen. I expect to see excellent attitudes, great practice and match effort, and with that the girls will be proud of their records at season’s end. Silver Creek is the premier team (in the MSC) each year. We want to compete with them and the other top conference teams, and not just be in a position looking up to them.”



CLARKSVILLE

• COACH: Steve Welcher.

• RETURNING PLAYERS: Chloe Stephens, Jr.; Jackie Slaten, Jr.; Sharon Garcia, So.; Bailey Duggan, So.

• VARSITY NEWCOMERS: Abigail Hurtgen, Tesia Jenkins.

• TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Providence, Silver Creek, Scottsburg, Austin; New Albany Invitational.

• OUTLOOK: The Generals might be battling some growing pains this year as they have no seniors and lots of youth. Welcher’s four returning players will have to provide leadership. Welcher says Silver Creek is the favorite in a balanced MSC.

• WELCHER SAYS: “It will be a battle this year since we have a young team with no seniors. We will get a preview of where we are at the New Albany tournament. I think we will compete hard. We should be improved over last year and I expect a good solid year. The girls are ready to go and excited about the season. The conference looks to be evenly tough this year, with the championship going through Silver Creek as usual.”



FLOYD CENTRAL

• COACH: Rick Miller.

• RETURNING PLAYERS: Olivia Boesing, Jr.; Carmen Schreiber, Sr.; Dana Frank, So.; Katherine Dauby, Jr.; Whitney Batliner, Jr.; Chelsea Shackelford, Sr.; Kadey Welch, Sr.

• VARSITY NEWCOMERS: Erin Patterson, Fr.; Maddie Ford, Fr.; Christine McCaffrey, Jr.; Alexis Applegate, Fr.

• TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Jasper, Louisville Assumption, Evansville Memorial, Columbus North, Bloomington South, Silver Creek, Terre Haute North, Louisville Sacred Heart, Brebeuf, Indianapolis Cathedral, Carmel, Zionsville, Center Grove, Bedford North Lawrence, Jeffersonville, New Albany, Columbus East; Floyd Central Big Four Invitational, Crawfordsville tournament, Zionsville tournament.

• OUTLOOK: The Highlanders finished third in the IHSAA State Finals last season as they lost to eventual state champion Carmel in the semifinals, 4-1. With several players back, Floyd Central has its sights set on winning the first state championship in program history. Boesing and Schreiber are one of the best singles duos in the state. Dauby and Batliner will play at No. 1 doubles, while the Highlanders’ No. 2 doubles tandem right now is Shackelford and Welch. Floyd Central’s usual tough regular-season schedule should get it ready for the postseason.

• MILLER SAYS: “We’ve got the talent to win the state championship and any tournament we play in. I think we are in the top five or six teams in the state after finishing third (in the state finals) last year. I think our outlook is fantastic. I’ve never had a more talented team than this one right here. It depends on how hard they want to work and whether they love the pressure. I wouldn’t trade for anybody else’s team — I’ll tell you that.”



HENRYVILLE

• COACH: Brian Consley.

• RETURNING PLAYERS: Katie Cleveland, Sr.; Casey Guernsey, Sr.; Natalie Bobay, Jr.; Jordan Jeffers, Jr.; Alicia Lindley, So.

• VARSITY NEWCOMERS: Lauren Sinn, Jr.; Shelby Sinn, So.

• TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Borden; New Albany Invitational.

• OUTLOOK: The Hornets plan on playing this season despite dealing with the aftermath of the devastating tornado that hit Henryville High School and the town of Henryville on March 2. The Hornets’ roster is deeper this year. Consley says he has 13 girls who will be playing on the junior varsity team at the start of the season and some of them could play varsity matches. Consley, who also is Henryville’s boys’ tennis coach, is in his first year as the girls’ coach. He says Borden is the favorite to win the SAC in 2012.

• CONSLEY SAYS: “We are ready to represent our school and our community each time we step on the court. That is our mission this year and any positive match results will be an added bonus. Our schedule looks to be challenging. The second week will be a good test of physical and mental endurance due to playing matches five days in a row, including a tournament on Saturday. Being a first-year girls’ coach, I am unsure of the strengths and weaknesses of the other teams on our schedule. However, we will be prepared for each challenge we face during the season.”



JEFFERSONVILLE

• COACH: Mark Reilly.

• RETURNING PLAYERS: Morgan Reilly, Jr.; Julianna Jenks, Jr.; Macy Lancaster, Jr.; Emily Lewis, So.; Alanna Davey, Sr.; Maddy Coulter, Sr.; Abby Roth, Jr.; Larissa Neville, So.; Rachel Williams, So.

• VARSITY NEWCOMERS: Katie Wunsch, Fr.; Katie Bowen, Fr.

• TOUGH OPPONENTS: Floyd Central, New Albany, Silver Creek, Jasper, Columbus North, Bloomington North, Castle.

• OUTLOOK: Morgan Reilly is one of the top No. 1 singles players in the area, as she has been getting interest from some NCAA Division I women’s tennis programs. Jenks and Lancaster formed one of the best doubles teams in the area last season, as they reached the championship match of the Bedford individual doubles regional. The Red Devils are looking to win their third Jeff Sectional title in a row, and Coach Reilly thinks they can crack the top 20 in the state coaches’ poll.

• COACH REILLY SAYS: “Last year, the team was 13-7, so we will try and improve on that and I feel we can break into the top 20 in the state. (Morgan Reilly) has been a solid player for us to build our team around. As a No. 1 doubles team, (Jenks and Lancaster) had a great run in the doubles tournament last year, and that has given them a lot of confidence coming into this season. Emily Lewis, who played the No. 2 doubles spot last year, has made some big gains in her game and should be moving up in the lineup. She has always had the power game, but now she is learning to bring consistency when she needs to on the court.”



NEW ALBANY

• COACH: Bob Dusch.

• RETURNING PLAYERS: Maddy Bellew, Sr.; Kaitlyn Mooney, Sr.; Erin Kanii, Jr.; Marin Kanii, Jr.; Emily Hoffer, Jr.; Lauren Hoffer, So.; Chandini Mirani, Sr.

• VARSITY NEWCOMERS: Raquel Burch, Fr.; Rachel Johnson, Fr.; Anne Marie Mattox, Fr.; Katie Collins, Sr.

• TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Silver Creek, Scottsburg, Providence, Floyd Central, Columbus East, Jeffersonville; New Albany Invitational, Hoosier Hills Conference Tournament, Jeff Invitational, Jasper Invitational.

• OUTLOOK: Expectations are high for the Bulldogs this season as they have their entire starting lineup back. Bellew is one of the most-experienced No. 1 singles players in the area. The Kanii twin sisters will fill the other two singles spots. Dusch plans on playing Mooney and Emily Hoffer at one doubles and Mirani and Lauren Hoffer at two doubles. The Bulldogs are the favorites to win the New Albany Sectional for the 15th straight time.

• DUSCH SAYS: “I think we have the potential to be a good team. It just comes back to having other good teams to play against. I think we’ll be competitive.”



NEW WASHINGTON

• COACH: Wayne Davis.

• RETURNING PLAYERS: Alex Seals, Sr.; Ashley Johnson, Jr.; Christen Walker, Jr.; Amanda Kemp, Jr.; Courtney Amick, So.; Tiffanie Brison, So.

• VARSITY NEWCOMERS: Melanie Dieterlen, Fr.; Courtney Morgan, So.

• TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Southwestern, Borden, Austin; Charlestown Invitational.

• OUTLOOK: Davis is looking forward to coaching this group of Mustangs. New Washington has some experience and some room to grow as players. Davis says Borden is the SAC favorite, but he thinks his team has the potential to be competitive with the Braves this season.

• DAVIS SAYS: “I’m excited about my team. I think we’re young enough to have room for solid growth, but should be old enough to show maturity and toughness. If I’m right, we’ll have a very nice season. If the kids will have as much confidence in themselves as I have in them and they are mentally tough enough to play through the rough spots, then I think we have a real chance to be pretty darn good. Borden has been the team to beat (in the SAC) in recent years. Coach Shauver does a great job with them, but I would like to think we can give them a serious run this year.”



PROVIDENCE

• COACH: Vince DiNoto.

• RETURNING PLAYERS: Megan Jakoby, Sr.; Kelsey Haas, Jr.; Jacqueline Hollkamp, Jr.; Abbie Shelton, Jr.; Alison Primavera, Jr.; Maggie Bremmer, Sr.

• VARSITY NEWCOMERS: Sarah Federspiel, Sr.; Kristin Simms, Sr.; Amanda Agtuca, Jr.

• TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Paoli, Jeffersonville, Bedford North Lawrence, Silver Creek, New Albany; Jasper Invitational, Delphi Invitational, Providence Invitational, New Albany Invitational.

• OUTLOOK: Providence is expected to give Jeff a run its money at the Jeff Sectional as they have six returning letterwinners. Of the six, three made the all-district team last season in Jakoby, Haas and Hollkamp. The Pioneers’ challenging regular-season schedule should get them ready for the sectional. DiNoto says in the seven years he has coached at Providence — three as an assistant coach and four as the head coach — this year’s Pioneers are the best-conditioned team he has mentored.

• DINOTO SAYS: “With a solid core of all-district players, we expect outstanding accomplishments from these three individuals and hope they will be able to repeat those achievements. As a team, we have an upperclassman-dominated team and we expect some of our journeyman players to really shine and have an outstanding season. Depending on how these players perform will directly affect our overall record for the season.”



SILVER CREEK

• COACH: Robert Briscoe.

• RETURNING PLAYERS: Kat Hebble, So.; Kristen Haeberlein, Sr.; Rain Hopkins, Sr.; Jenny Block, So.; Rebekah Knittle, Jr.

• VARSITY NEWCOMERS: Morgan Sharp, So.; Katy Hawkins, Jr.

• TOUGH OPPONENTS/TOURNAMENTS: Floyd Central, Jeffersonville, New Albany, Providence, Jasper, Bloomington North, Terre Haute North, Columbus North; Silver Creek round-robin tournament, Jasper Invitational.

• OUTLOOK: Five of the Dragons’ seven starters are back in Hebble, Haeberlein, Hopkins, Block and Knittle. Briscoe says six others players will battle for the remaining varsity spots. Silver Creek faces a difficult schedule, as it is favorite to win the MSC and its own sectional.

• BRISCOE SAYS: “We are looking to have another successful season. Our girls are working hard in practice and preparing for the tough season to come. If we keep improving every day, we will reach all of the goals that we are setting for this season. We have a tough schedule, but that’s how you get better.”

Note: Information on Christian Academy of Indiana could not be obtained at press time.