Perhaps there is no more important class to Notre Dame’s success this upcoming season than that of the sophomores. After being thrown into the competitive fire during their first campaign, the talented quartet looks to show an improved learning curve to the collegiate game and a propensity for winning important matches wherever they may fall within the dual lineup. Jennifer Kellner enjoyed probably the busiest first year amongst the four last season, putting together a fine record of 25-6, including seeing time at No. 3,4 and 5 singles at periods during the dual slate. In addition to being named to the All-BIG EAST Team, the Smithtown, N.Y., product also quickly made a name for herself in the ITA national rankings on the singles circuit and established herself as a tough doubles player in mixed time between teaming with McGaffigan and fellow sophomore Julie Sabacinski. Sabacinski proved to be one of the scrappier players on the Irish roster, refusing to give up on a match no matter what the circumstance may be. The Plantation, Fla., resident ended the year with a 10-10 dual record in time between courts No. 5 and 6, but ended her season on a high note, winning each of her final four contests on the campaign. In addition, Sabacinski found a niche at the No. 3 doubles court, recording nine wins. One of the bigger hitters on the Irish squad, Britney Sanders hopes to step to the forefront this season and challenge for one of the top spots in the Irish singles rotation. After not taking to the court during the regular season in ’10-11, Sanders got acclimated to dual play with a singles and doubles match in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Northwestern. That taste of action, mixed with the power game she brings on court, hopes to mix into a successful sophomore season for the Ontario, Calif., native. The final member of the sophomore class is JoHanna Manningham, who looks to provide additional depth to a talent-rich roster. A local product of the team, the Mishawaka, Ind., native concluded last season with five victories overall in singles while posting four more in doubles play. With a year of knowledge at her disposal she hopes to continue to build on those totals going forward this season. “The good thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores,” said Louderback. “They understand now how important it is to practice hard every day and they have adjusted to the way we practice. In the juniors, they are used to one-on-one practice and in college it is about improving and
helping your teammates improve. By now they also know what to expect when we are on the road.” One new cog joins the Irish fold in ’11-12 in the form of Katherine White of Columbus, Ga. One of the top recruits out of the state of Georgia, White also brings a very powerful attack to the court as she utilizes all of her 5-11 frame to get extra pop on the ball. The talented newcomer brings with her an experience of winning after helping her Brookstone High School team capture the state championship back-to-back years during her freshman and sophomore seasons, while she, herself, was named as the Team MVP and an all-city selection both campaigns. “Katherine brings a big hitting game to the table,” stated Louderback. “She is working on being a little more consistent. She also will play a big part in our doubles success.” The returning experience to the Irish lineup should provide a needed expertise to help navigate an always-difficult schedule, which again holds true for the upcoming campaign. Of the 24 potential matchups that are on the Notre Dame schedule, 15 of them were ranked in the final ITA rankings in ’10-11, including four of which (Duke, North Carolina, Baylor, Michigan) that were in the top 10. However, with a lineup that looks to bring a challenge from No. 1 all the way through No. 6 singles and at each doubles court, Louderback sees this as a more manageable schedule that last season. “We went from being a very young team last year to having much more experience this year,” remarked Louderback. “Dual matches are so different from what juniors coming in to college have experienced. Now they are not only playing for themselves but their teammates and school. The pressure is much different and it takes some time to feel comfortable playing dual matches, which I think this team is beginning to get more comfortable with now.” This year’s schedule sees the Irish open up with a trifecta of home matches to begin the campaign against Cincinnati (Jan. 21) as well as Missouri and IPFW (Jan. 22) before heading off to Ann Arbor for qualifying matches for the 2012 National Team Indoors which, should the Irish qualify for, would take place from Feb. 10-13 in Charlottesville, Va. Two tough road tests precede that event, as Notre Dame heads to the Volunteer State for showdowns against Tennessee (Feb. 3) and Vanderbilt (Feb. 5). The remainder of the month of February and the beginning of March sees the squad enjoy a lengthy sixmatch home docket that features contests against North Carolina (Feb. 18), Illinois (Feb.
19), Indiana (Feb. 24), Georgia Tech (Feb. 26), Iowa (March 2) and Duke (March 3). A spring break trip to Hawai’i then awaits the Irish, as they head to Honolulu for three matches against the likes of Texas Tech (March 12), Hawai’i (March 14) and SMU (March 15) before returning to Ann Arbor, Mich., for a battle against rival Michigan on March 21. A pair of BIG EAST matchups then face the Irish as they take on Marquette (March 25) and DePaul (March 31) at home before opening up a tough three-match stretch to begin April against national powers Northwestern (April 4), Baylor (April 7) and Texas A&M (April 9). The season concludes with two more conference tussles as the team faces off against USF (April 13) at home before heading to the Bluegrass State to face Louisville (April 15). Postseason play then gets underway as the Irish head to the BIG EAST Championships (April 19-22) in Tampa, Fla., hoping to claim their fifth straight conference title and an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. This year’s NCAA Championship will see the first and second rounds hosted by conference sites (May 11-12) before moving to Athens, Ga., from May 17-28 for the remainder of the team tournament and the singles and doubles draws, a venue that Louderback hopes his team is able to visit come seasons end. “Our goal coming into this season is to win the BIG EAST and then go as far as possible in the NCAA tournament. A good run at the end of the year is very possible. It will start with our seniors and the leadership they can provide.”
After putting together a successful freshman campaign that saw her record 10 dual-match wins, sophomore Julie Sabacinski hopes to help lead a quartet of talented sophomores to a successful season this year.
2011-12 WOMEN’S TENNIS
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