Tennis To Begin 2005 Season

Jan. 21, 2005

Lawrence, Kan. – The University of Kansas tennis team is set to begin its 2005 season on Saturday, January 22, with a home dual against the Illinois State Redbirds. The event will take place at the Wood Valley Racquet Club in Topeka and begin at 11 a.m.

The 2005 squad will be the youngest Jayhawks squad in years as four new faces and a new assistant coach join the team. That being said, head coach Amy Hall-Holt still expects big things from the Jayhawks.

“We are looking forward to a very successful season and I know that we will be ready to perform,” Hall-Holt said. “The freshmen should be able to make an immediate impact and we expect to continue to compete at high level in the Big 12.”

Hall-Holt will look to four veterans, juniors Christine Skoda and Luiza Loureiro and sophomores Brittany Brown and Ashley Filberth to provide leadership for the incoming freshman class. The first recruiting class of the Hall-Holt era includes Lauren Hommell from Roswell, Ga., Anna Jackson from Alpharetta, Ga., Stephanie Smith from Salina, Kan., and Elizaveta (Liza) Avdeeva from Obnisk, Russia, who joined the team just one week ago.

Hall-Holt will be joined by assistant coach Frank Polito. Polito came to the team this past fall after he was a Jayhawk assistant coach from 1996-1997, from his former position at Ohio State.

The `Hawks will need to be on top of their game all season as 13 of the Hawks’ opponents appear in the ITA Top 75 Preseason rankings, with seven Big 12 opponents. Hall-Holt believes that her team will be up for the challenge.

“We always play a tough schedule and that will give us an indicator of what we want to accomplish as a team,” Hall-Holt said.

Following the match against Illinois State, the Jayhawks will have another home dual against BYU on January 29 at 5 p.m. in Overland Park, Kan. at the Overland Park Racquet Club.