7
Weather Wreaks Havoc with 's
by Scott Genualdi
The women's tennis team would
probably like to play where the
weather is pleasant After all,
Greensboro this spring has not been
too receptive for outdoor sports. In
between raindrops and other ele
ments of bad weather, the team has
played its way to a 8-4.
"I have never seen the weather
like this in a season," states Coach
Gayle Currie. "This is the first time
that we have been rained out of five
matches so early the season. The
sun was shining for four hours in the
six days that we stayed at Hilton
Head. The 35°F with a 14° wind
chill in the Old Dominion match are
the worst conditions I can remember
for tennis."
Senior Kim O'Connor adds, "This
is definitely the worst weather in my
four years here. We have played a
lot inside."
Two matches. Mars Hill and Hope
College, have been played indoors
at Guilford. The Mars Hill match
went quickly with the Quakers win
ning 9-0. The Hope College match
last Monday, however, took almost
seven hours to complete with the
Michigan school winning 6-3.
The two matches that were rained
out last week brought the season
total to five. At Hilton Head, the
matches against Lander, Ursinus
(PAX and Clinch Valley were
cancelled due to the weather, while
last week the team was rained out of
matches against Peace and Presby
terian. Peace, the only school to be
rescheduled, will play Guilford on
April 5.
In the matches that have been
Quaker Softball Starts with New Coach, Team
by Larisa Hulalck
The Quaker softbdl team has
started the season with a new coach
and a very new team. Suzanne Lowe,
formerly the assistant coach, has
taken charge of the team, one-third
of which are first-year players.
The Quakers have played such
teams as Pembroke, ML Olive, and
Lenoir-Rhyne. Their current record
is one and five. Their one victory
was against Lenoir-Rhyne. Two of
Monday, March 20
Tuesday, March 21
Tuesday, March 21
Wednesday, March 22
Wednesday, March 22
completed, the team has not been too
successful. The team has defeated
two Division I schools, Appalachian
State and East Carolina by scores of
9-0. At Hilton Head, they beat Appa
lachian but lost to James Madison 7-
2, West Virginias-4, and Old Domin
ion 6-0.
"We have yet to play a good team
and win," mentions Cume. "James
Madison, Old Dominion, West Vir
ginia, and Hope College were the best
four teams we played and they were
losses. That concerns me a little."
Jill Daly agrees. "We have played
close matches we could have won,"
she said.
"Wc are not playing as well as
expected/'comments Emily King. "It
has been disappointing to lose two
close matches."
"We have been losing matches in
the third set and losing sets after lead
ing 4-I,"Currie says. "I'mnot alarmed
now but this should change as we
progress. Maybe it is a sign that we
will peak at the right time."
Cunie schedules the toughest
matches in the beginning of the sea
son. "That's my job," she states.
"That way we build throughout the
season and prepare for the district
matches and the District 26 Tourna
ment."
O'Connor says, "We have had
tough matches recently but they help
us for upcoming district matches."
Cunie is not too upset: "Our team
has played good matches but we just
haven't won them. lam seeing good
matches.
"Kim O'Connor is playing the best
she's played in her four years here.
Heidi Meroth is extremely depend
die five games lost went into extra
Lowe said that in the outfield, sen
ior Tara Mamie dominates, and in the
infield junior Susan Seifert is "the
only one who's pitched in every game
... without having to come out of a
game." Sophomore Lori Helton and
junior Janine Klock have been very
good at bat. Helton has hit three home
runs in six games; Lowe said that
"without her home run we couldn't
able. She played very well against
Old Dominion, definitely the strong
est team we have met Emily has
improved. Her match against Hope
College was her finest yet even though
she lost. Joanne Black played real
well against her opponent from West
Virginia."
King says, "My game has been
mediocre. I'm disappointed with the
progress I made. I should have won
matches that I lost. I let other
[people's preseason] expectations get
to me. But now I'm starting to get
better."
Doubles play has been suspicious
this season. Cunie states, "We need
to work on our aggressiveness. We
have been concentrating on that re
cently. I hope it will fall into place by
the end of the season.
"Joanne and I are starting to come
out strong," said O'Connor. "We are
improving."
The team is going through internal
shuffles. The lineup will still be
changing due to various challenge
matches in singles.
"As a team we will do all right,"
Daly comments. "Most of the teams
we played are Division I schools and
they always have depth. We have the
depth to do well in the district"
Next week, the Quakers face Elon
and Atlantic Christian in two tough
district matches. Those two matches
are seen as a preparation for the major
showdown against High Point on
April 6.
"As far as the season goes, I be
lieve we are on schedule," concludes
Currie.
If the weather ever cooperates, the
Quakers will be ready.
have won the game we won."
Lowe sad hitting b one of the
biggest problems being die lean right
now. She said, "We have the poten
tial to be a competitive learn." How
ever, the Quakers are facing very
strong teams. Pembroke had strong
hitters, and hit several pilches over
die fence. "Our defense is capable of
holding other teams,** she said.
Lowe said die inexperience of the
team and the short season are factors
§£aDir®lbDfur(dl
Women's Tennis 3, Hope College 6
Softball 5, Pembroke 12 Softball 9, Pembroke 23
Women's Lacrosse 11, Duke Club 4 (scrimmage)
Men's Tennis 8, Wingate 1
Men's Lacrosse 5, Hobart 10
Women's Lacrosse wins tuesday's game against Duke
photo by Eric Buck
Men's Tennis
Evens Out at 4-4
by Kathy Corcoran
Coach Dean Mathias and the
men's tennis team improved their
record to 4-4 by beating Wingate in
a decisive 8-1 victory Wednesday.
The Quakers did not allow Win
gate any wins in singles competi
tion. Leading the shut-out, Ricky
Feit and Ed Simko each won their
matches before teaming up to beat
Wingate *s number one doubles team
6-0,6-1. Simko won by a margin of
6-2, 6-0.
Rich Parker, at number three,
came through for the Quakers, beat
ing Marcus Luke 6-0, 6-2, while
teammate David Lambert was
pounding away atßrentWidenhouse
of Wingate for a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
Pete Burroughs came up with a 6-0,
6-2 win at the number five position,
and David Lincoln, playing number
six for Guilford beat Cody Luke 6-
2,6-2.
Last Friday, the team travelled lo
Tennessee and lost two close
matches to Freed Hardeman (5-3)
andTrevecca Nazarcne (5-4). Both
teams are ranked in the top 20 in the
nation.
in the lean's current record. The
weather has been a problem, and has
limited already limited practices.
Lowe sad one idea for next yea is
heavier pre-season conditioning. She
said, "We can't make it up... in a one
month season.... This yea's experi
ence will be helpful."
Sports
"Our goal is to be ranked in the
top 20 by the end of the season," said
Mathias. "So we went [to Tennes
see] hoping to get a shot at some
ranked teams and improve our rec
ord."
His team proved they could com
pete with teams of this level, despite
the losses. In the Trevecca Nazarene
match Simko was winning 6-1,4-1
before his opponent came back to
win all remaining sets. Lambert also
had a close match, winning the first
set 6-2 and tying up the second 3-3.
"Playing two matches in one day can
be rough," said Mathias. "It can re
ally wear you ouL"
Number four player Lambert said
that although he had hoped their rec
ord would be better than 4-4 right
now, he is confident that they will
reach their goal by the end of the
season. "I'm sure that we'll beranked
before the end of the season," Lam
bert said. "We definitely have the
Udent."
The Quakers'next home match is
Saturday, April 1 at 1:00. They will
take on the Fighting Christians of
Elon.
Lowe said she has enjoyed work
ing with this team and is optimistic
about the restof the season: 'They're
a good group of people. They really
care about playing. They're willing
to do what it takes."