Season Preview

Monday, Feb. 9, 2009

First-Year Women's Tennis Coach Inherits Good Team

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – It isn’t every first-year coach who inherits a team with a fighting chance for a conference championship.

John Hein

“I feel very fortunate as a new coach to inherit a team with this mix of talent and experience,” says John Hein as he eyes the start of his first season as the women’s tennis coach at Whitman College.

“No one graduated last spring so the same core group of players is back again, and we’ve added some depth this team didn’t have a year ago.”

Interim coach Hannah Swee guided a small roster (seven players) to a successful season last spring that included a 12-7 Northwest Conference record and a third-place finish at the championship tournament.

Elise Otto

“From everything I’ve heard and can see, Hannah and these players did a great job in a tough situation last season,” Hein says. “There was virtually no depth, so people had to play regardless of nagging injuries and fatigue, or any of the ups and downs that players might have had off the court. We have more players and more options this season, especially in doubles.”

With a roster of 12 players, Whitman kicks off its conference season at home with matches this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 13-14. “We start the NWC season with Lewis & Clark, one of the best teams in the conference, so that should give us an early indication of where we stand,” Hein says.

Katie Oost

Based on what he’s learned in his first several months on the job, along with results from last fall’s Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional tournament, Hein has Whitman and Lewis & Clark pegged among the four teams with the inside track on the NWC top spot. Defending champion Linfield and Whitworth have also caught his attention.

“I don’t think there’s a clear favorite right now,” he says. “We’re in a good spot as one of the teams with a realistic shot at winning it all. Of the teams in the running, we have as many juniors and seniors as anyone. Most of our key people have played a lot of matches at this level, and that experience is important.”

Hadley DeBree

While Hein is guardedly optimistic, his players are unabashedly focused on the NWC’s top prize. “The players have that definite goal,” he says. “They want to win a conference title. They know it’s going to come down to which team is playing the best at the conference tournament in April. We want to do everything possible between now and then to put ourselves in the best position to win.”

The Missionaries were busy early this month playing a series of challenge matches, and Hein had yet to make any decisions about his line-up, singles or doubles. He expects to see a certain amount of fluidity in the line-up, especially in doubles, as the season plays itself out.

“Playing better doubles is another one of our goals this season,” he says. “It’s hard to make too many predictions, but I think we’re going to be much better and deeper in doubles than a year ago. We might go with the same basic teams, or we might change doubles partners at times. We’re going to have options.”

Margo Lentz

Elise Otto, who played No. 1 singles last spring in her first season at Whitman, won the singles title at last fall’s regional ITA tournament and teamed with senior Katie Oost to win the doubles crown. They lost their opening round matches at the ITA national tournament but nonetheless picked up valuable experience in the process.

“That kind of national experience makes Katie and Elise better players, and their experience benefits our team as a whole,” Hein says.

Otto was twice named NWC Player of the Week last season en route to a 15-4 conference record at No. 1 singles. She also shared a 14-5 record at No. 1 doubles and earned All-NWC First Team honors.

“Elise lost to just two players in our conference, and one of those two graduated,” Hein says. “Elise  is strong, she wants to compete, and she keeps getting better. She dominates her opponents at times, but she can also hang tough and grind her way through matches.”

Divneet Kaur

Oost had a stellar season last spring at No. 4 and No. 5 singles, going 15-3 against conference foes. Playing with three different partners, she also won 16 of 19 matches in doubles. She was named to the All-NWC Second Team.

Three Whitman juniors – Hadley DeBree, Margo Lentz and Divneet Kaur – missed last fall’s ITA tournament while on foreign study, but all three return to prominent roles this spring.

DeBree, who spent last fall in Australia, played at No. 2 singles and No. 2 doubles last season, earning All-NWC First-Team recognition for a second consecutive year. She was 14-5 against conference foes a year in singles.

“Hadley has great strokes all over the court,” Hein says. “She hits every shot, and as a tennis nut, she understands the game. Every player can make improvements, no matter how good they are, but I don’t see any real weaknesses in Hadley’s game. The overall difference in Elise and Hadley are fairly subtle. They are both very good players.”

Jacquie Frank

Kaur, who studied in India last fall, also is building on a strong sophomore campaign, when she posted a 13-5 NWC singles record and compiled a 16-3 doubles mark with three different partners. "Divneet is very focused on the court but she still has a lot of fun,” Hein says. “That’s a great combination.”

Kaur has also recovered from nagging injuries that compromised her game last spring. “She’s happy to be in a position where she can improve her game rather than deal with injuries and just try to maintain. She’s able to hit her backhand again, which will help her return game a lot. She likes to play fast and hit hard, and she’s getting better at moving around the court.”

Alex Robinson

Lentz, back from a semester in Amman, Jordan, also is bouncing back from health problems. “Margo had a really tough time from a physical standpoint last year, but she’s better now and moving really well,” Hein says. “Even if she’s not yet back to her peak physical performance level, she’s still one of the best athletes in our conference.”

Also back from a year ago are seniors Alex Robinson and Jacquie Frank. “Both Alex and Jacquie have played a lot of matches at the college level, and they are battling with others on the team for playing time,” Hein says. “They both play solid doubles and do a lot of things well. Alex is probably the better singles player at this point, but Jacquie has worked hard on her singles game.”

Amanda Alexander

Two first-year players, Emily Rolston (Missoula, Mont.) and Charlotte Scott (Seattle, Wash.), enjoyed “solid results at the fall tournament and are fighting for court time as well,” Hein says.

“Emily has a bigger game, which might make it easier for her to crack the doubles line-up. She has a bigger serve and puts overheads and volleys away. Charlotte is a smart player who puts a lot of balls in play and makes her opponents work.”

Charlotte Scott

Amanda Alexander, a sophomore who transferred to Whitman in December, is “talented and super athletic,” Hein says. “I’m just now starting to see what she can do. She hits a very good ball, but she might need part of this season just to get back her form.”

Alexander, who is from Sun Valley, Idaho, did not play competitive tennis during her first year of college at the University of San Diego.

Rounding out the roster are senior Charlie McKiver and first-year Missionary Zoe Kunkel-Patterson (Yakima, Wash.). McKiver, who came to Whitman from Bronxville, N.Y., is in her first season of college tennis.

Emily Rolston

“Zoe and Charlie didn’t play a lot of tennis in high school, but they did other sports and love to compete,” Hein says. “Both are working hard on improving their games.”  

Whitman’s opening weekend (Feb. 13-14) of play will actually include three matches. After the NWC bouts with Lewis & Clark and Willamette, the Missionaries face non-conference foe Lewis-Clark State at 4 p.m. Feb. 14.

Hein, who played for UC-Santa Cruz during its 1998 NCAA DIII national championship season, later served as an assistant coach with the women’s team at his alma mater. He completed a master’s degree at Cal State-Chico and was coaching tennis in London, England, before taking the Whitman job last summer.

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CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
holden@whitman.edu; (509) 527-590