January 26, 2015

Family atmosphere key to a successful 2015 season for Eagles

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman tennis player Jennifer Ott (Knoxville, Tenn.) is the lone senior on the 2015 edition of coach Jean Love’s squad.

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman tennis player Jennifer Ott (Knoxville, Tenn.) is the lone senior on the 2015 edition of coach Jean Love's squad.

With a squad welcoming in four freshmen, Ott's plan as the senior leader is to instill a certain attitude for the team and make them a tight-knit group.

"Just trying to set by example and really bring into our family atmosphere. Bring in the freshmen and also bring in our juniors that our family," Ott said of her goals as the lone senior. "We just work as a family, work as a team and we want to support each other and make our way through conference this year and make a real impact deep into conference."

The Eagles were picked to finish ninth in the South Atlantic Conference in 2015 by the league, one spot behind the eight-place tie with Catawba and Brevard that they finished in 2014. Wingate is slated to win its fifth consecutive regular season title. Reigning SAC Tournament winner Tusculum came in second in the preseason poll.

In 2014, the Eagles finished 10-12 and 3-7 in the SAC. Love welcomes four players back from 2014 and the four freshmen that will make their debut in February. Former First-Team All-SAC player Stefy Stand and Katie Brown who went 16-0 last year both graduated in 2014.

Ott returns for her final campaign at Mossy Creek. As a junior, she played as the team's number three, four, five and six and picked up three individual wins. In doubles play, she and junior Patricia Guerreiro (Portugal) combined to be the best doubles combo on the team with a 14-8 record.

"Coach tries to bring in new combinations, old combinations that work," Ott said of the formation of a doubles team. "With the freshmen, they are fighting over which combinations that works together, communicate best. And if something worked last year and then she continues that for consistency."

Guerreiro joins Haleigh Chastain (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Brooke Sanderson (Evans, Ga.) as the team's three juniors. Guerreiro was named an All-SAC Honorable Mention in 2014. She spent the most time in 2014 as C-N's number one singles play and she picked up four wins in that role. Chastain played mostly as the team's number six and won seven matches in that position. Sanderson played in the team's third, fourth, fifth and the sixth positions. She was slated as the number four the most and won eight matches there.

The lone sophomore is Jessica Edds (Gate City, Va.). She did not play during her freshman campaign.

The four freshmen have brought a mentality to the Eagles' squad. The combination of Catherine Cook (Morristown, Tenn.), Jill Corsato-Owsianka(Düsseldorf, Germany), Mallory Jackson (Erwin, Tenn.) and Sydney Ledington (Corbin, Ky.) has brought competition and a new edge.

"They really bring a lot to our team. They are newcomers to college, but they play hard and they play well. They really stretch us and they make us stronger," Ott said of the four newcomers. "Three of them are coming into the top of the lineup and pushing the upperclassmen down, which is making the team stronger. They add a new element to doubles, making that even stronger, which is an important part in D-II tennis."

The biggest Ott has set for herself and the team, though, is to make a name for Carson-Newman in the SAC and play in the SAC Tournament for the first time since 2010.

"Break through in conference. We want to go to the conference tournament. In tennis, you only take six teams to the conference tournament, so we want to be one of those six," Ott said.

The Eagles kick off their season on February 7^th at home against Young Harris at 1 p.m.

School (First-Place Votes)	Points
1. Wingate (7)	124
2. Tusculum (2)	114
3. Queens (1)	108
4. Newberry (2)	102
5. Anderson	97
6. Lincoln Memorial	87
7. Mars Hill	70
8. Catawba	62
9. Carson-Newman	50
10. Coker	40
11. Lenior-Rhyne	37
12. Brevard	33