Lady Outlaws set for tennis season

The Outlaws girls tennis team returns 11 players to their squad, and will also add 11 new players to the team. Specific singles and doubles positions have not yet been determined.

Tiffany Bigelow and Maddie Green are both back for their fourth year on the team. Bigelow will play both singles and doubles, and Green will play singles. Bigelow has a great return on serves, which allows her to gain control of the game, and Green's strength is in her strong ground strokes.

Six players will return for their second season on the team, including Jenny Houk, Lauren Rudinsky, Becky Thomas, Nicole Webb, Jazmyn Gill and Nancy Lopez.

Houk, Rudinsky, Webb, Gill and Lopez will all play doubles. Houk is a fast, aggressive player who likes to play at the net. Rudinsky is an all-around player who is quick on the court. Webb plays a solid game and has an uncanny ability to find her opponent's weakness. According to coach Marti Dale, Gill has gained confidence over the past year and improved her overall game.

Lopez is a baseline doubles player who recently recovered from a shoulder injury and is just now getting her tennis game back in shape.

Thomas is a competitive, consistent player whom Dale noted never gives up. Thomas will fill one of the singles positions.

The 11 new additions to the squad are senior Claire Kanzig, who returns to the team after a year off while studying abroad, sophomores Beth Eckstine and Chloe Stein, and freshmen Shennan Chick, Naomi Eckstine, Michaela Fujita-Conrads, Nikki Haken, Kristina Sparling, Shelbi Thompson and Paige Tosello. Marine Tresnie, a foreign exchange student from Belgium, will also join the team.

Tresnie has grown up playing competitive tennis on the clay courts in Europe.

Coach Dale will be assisted by Jan Pray, and both are excited about the group of girls they have this year.

"These girls are experienced tennis players and very coachable," said Dale. "We are looking forward to a season of great competition, with a good chance of some of our players making it to state this year."

The girls team will play their first match on Tuesday, March 30, against Cascade at Black Butte Ranch.