Fifth-year head coach Erin Felber brings a young, but experienced Alverno College tennis team to the courts in 2013. The Inferno has no seniors on this year's roster, but has three returners who saw valuable court time in 2012 to go along with five newcomers.
Alverno went 4-8 overall and 3-8 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play last season, a ninth-place finish. The Inferno was picked ninth in the NACC preseason poll, released last week.
"We have a lot of depth in our lineup and I think we will be able to surprise some teams in conference this season," Felber said.
Find out what's happening in Greenfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Charmaine Clark and 2011 team MVP Damanique Drake enter their junior season, while the team's Most Improved Player from a season ago, Libby Kent, enters her sophomore year.
"I am looking forward to the leadership of Charmaine and Damanique, both named team captains. I look forward to seeing how we can transfer our hard work at practices over to matches."
Find out what's happening in Greenfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Clark was 1-6 overall, including 1-3 at the No. 6 position in duals action, while Drake posted a solid 6-8 singles record, mostly at the No. 5 spot, last year. Kent went 4-11 in singles play at the No. 4 position, and led the team with seven wins in doubles play, mostly on the No. 3 team.
Although newcomers, a junior and freshman duo add maturity and college experience to the Inferno roster. Junior Devin Bach joins the team after transferring from UW-Oshkosh, and Sam Kasprzak -- a member of the Inferno's record-breaking softball team last year -- joins the tennis team with all four years of eligibility remaining in the sport.
True freshmen Jordanna Farkas, from Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay, and Laeren Yates, from Green Bay West High School, add youth to round out the Inferno tennis roster.
"I am excited to build a strong foundation for the tennis program with our young team. I am proud the way we competed during preseason, and I know that we will continue to improve and bring our game to the next level. "
Alverno opens play this Saturday with a pair of duals in Waukesha versus the University of Dubuque at 9 a.m. and then versus host Carroll University at 1 p.m. Conference play begins on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at Concordia University Wisconsin before the Inferno's home-opening duals against Aurora University and Benedictine University on Sept. 7.