2002 Spring Outlook
USI women's tennis established
as a top team in the GLVC
The University of Southern Indiana women's tennis team is establishing itself as one of the top teams in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the Midwest Region with a second-straight second place finish in the league this fall. USI finished the fall with a 12-2 overall record, 8-1 in the GLVC.
USI has been dominating in the GLVC, going 20-5 against conference opponents. All five losses have come at the hands of Northern Kentucky University, which has won the GLVC championship the last two seasons.
The Screaming Eagles, under the direction of Head Coach Keely Porter, have finished in the upper half of the GLVC six of the last 11 seasons and accumulated a record of 62-39. Overall, the Eagles are 98-60 (.620) going into the spring season.
All-GLVC performers Michelle Lenahan (Vincennes, Indiana), a senior, and
Emily Blinzinger (Oakland City, Indiana) a junior, lead the Screaming Eagles.
Blinzinger, who is 12-3 overall this year, continued the torrid pace of the last two season at number two singles. The junior, who advanced to the quarterfinals of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Mid-American Regional for the first time this fall, is 33-6 overall the last year-and-a-half.
Halfway through her junior season, Blinzinger also is rewriting the USI record book. She became the all-time leader in singles wins (45) and combined victories (82) and needs just four more wins to take over the all-time lead for doubles victories.
Lenahan battled through a rough fall, finishing 7-7 overall, but 5-3 in the GLVC. She is 26-15 the last two seasons after taking over the number one singles spot for the Eagles.
Blinzinger and Lenahan also have been a tough combination at number one doubles, blasting their way to a 12-4 overall record and an 8-1 finish in the GLVC. The last two seasons they are 28-10 overall, 15-2 in the league.
Next fall, Blinzinger will be relied upon heavily for on-court and off-court leadership, while Lenahan will cross over to being a student assistant.
The big addition to the USI line-up was sophomore Kathleen Davis (Sullivan, Indiana) at number five singles. Davis, whose brother Ethan plays for the men's squad, was 13-1 overall and a perfect 9-0 in the GLVC. In dual matches, Davis was 11-0 at number five singles.
In the middle of the line-up USI has a tough pair that combined for a 13-3 record in GLVC action. Senior
Gwen Gosman (Jasper, Indiana) went 9-3 overall at number three singles, a near perfect 6-1 in the GLVC, while sophomore
Nichole Freyberger (Jasper, Indiana) broke into double-digits with a 10-4 overall record, 7-2 in the conference.
Gosman combined with junior Jamie Carie (Washington, Indiana) to go 9-5 overall, 5-3 GLVC, at number three doubles, while Freyberger combined with Davis to produce an 8-6 overall, 5-4 in the league.
USI also had a solid number six in freshman Kalie Ackerman (Allendale, Illinois). Ackerman was 8-3 overall, a solid 6-3 in the GLVC.
Porter, the 2001 GLVC Coach of the Year, is looking forward to the spring. "Recruiting this spring will be of the utmost importance," said Porter. "While finishing second the last two seasons, 2002 should definitely be our chance with the players Northern Kentucky will be losing. Several other GLVC teams made great strides last season, so we have to continue to improve to be competitive."
Porter hopes to bring in two freshmen that can play in one of the top three spots and push the returning players to be better. "I'd like to mix up the doubles and will look for players who are comfortable at the net," said Porter.
