Page 6
The Blue Banner
Sports
Tennis Season Gets Going
New coach hopes for ‘good things’ in Big South Conference
Jessica Welch
Sports Reporter
Paul Pound, UNCA’s tennis
coach, said he hopes to establish
structure in the tennis program
and build upon the teams strengths
this year.
It is the first year for Pound at
UNCA. Both the men’s and
women’s tennis teams have had to
adapt to his new approach.
One player discussed his view of
the new coach.
“It is great to get such a fabulous
new coach. He works us very hard
with morning runs and tough prac
tices,” said Nick Neal, a freshman.
“He is dedicated to the team fully
and is always there to answer any
questions.”
The teams are starting to get
some structure, according to
Pound.
“Physically, we are beginning to
work out a lot harder than we have
done in the past, in terms of off-
court training,” said Pound.
The women’s team is a fairly
young team with no senior mem
bers. With three freshmen and
two sophomores on the roster of
eight players, the team’s lineup is
over 50 percent first and second
year players.
However, the team has poten
tial to become better and stronger,
according to Pound.
UNCA recently played at the
University of North Carolina at
Charlotte.
The women played well, but
“Charlotte’s team was stronger,”
said Pound.
Stefanie Shuba, a UNCA junior,
played well against Charlotte’s top-
ranked player.
“It was very pleasing,” said
Pound.
A few UNCA women came home
with victories against the 49ers.
Sophomore Andrea Knight won
her match in singles. Freshmen
Emily Acker-Estes and Stacy
Witkowski won in a doubles
match, posting their first colle-
"Physically, we are
beginning to work
out a lot harder
than we have done
in the past, in
terms of off-court
training.”
-Paul Pound,
Tennis Coach
JUSTIN MECKES/
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Junior Nancy Livesay pounds
a serve over the net.
giate wm.
Even though the women lost over
all, they made an impact against a
stronger team, according to Pound.
“They played well at Charlotte,”
said Pound.
Like the women’s team, the men’s
team lost overall to UNC-C.
“Charlotte was tough,” said
Pound. “They have an extremely
strong team.”
This year, the men’s team has only
one freshman on its roster, Nick
Neal.
Neal has impressed the coaches
with his work ethic and skill, ac
cording to Pound.
He is battling for the top ranking
for the men’s tennis team.
Pound said he is happy with the
progress of the freshman so far this
season.
“Neal is an exciting player for
UNCA,” said Pound. “He is a good
tennis player and an extremely hard
worker, so it is good to have him on
the team.”
“It is hard being the only fresh
man, but my teammates are really
supportive and help me out a lot,”
said Neal.
“I know with more experience, I
will win more matches,” said Neal.
So far both teams have played seven
matches and have won a couple of
the matches played. UNCA has only
played and lost to one team in the
Big South Conference, High Point
University.
High Point is a difficult team to
beat, according to Pound.
“We will be competitive with some
of the teams in the Big South, but
we will find it difficult to win against
some of the top teams,” said Pound.
The Bulldogs will get a chance to
take on some BSC opponents in
their next few matches.
UNCA will be competing against
Liberty University March 16, then
against Radford University March
17.
Both Bulldog tennis teams will
play Wofford College March 19 at
UNCA.
Pound said he thanks fans who
have come and supported the teams,
and looks forward to meeting more
supporters.
“We are hoping for some good
things against Liberty University,”
said Pound about the upcoming
match.
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sttist'stmimm:
— Sports Feature —
DREA JACKSON/
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Kristie Brinlcley, an undeclared
sophomore, leans into a shot.
Making a
Racquet
Jessica Welch
Sports Reporter
I
Students improve fitness and so
cial skills while learning to play
racquetball in the racquetball classes
held at UNCA, according to Eddie
Biedenbach, head men’s basketball
coach and instructor of a racquet
ball class offered at UNCA.
“Racquetball is a lifetime sport,”
said Biedenbach.
Biedenbach has taught racquet
ball at UNCA since the courts in
the gym became available. He
teaches students different drills and
correct terminology for racquetball
competitions.
Also, students in the class learn
more about developing their bod
ies by eating properly, getting into
shape and improving overall fit
ness, according to Biedenbach.
“The class allows you to get a good
workout early in the morning so
you are awake for the rest of the
day,” said Seth Denton, a sopho
more economics major. “Coach
Biedenbach makes the class really
fun and teaches us how to play
well.”
Biedenbach said he emphasizes
the importance of students playing
against someone more skilled than
themselves, someone with the same
playing ability, and someone less
skilled then themselves.
By playing someone better, stu
dents can see how they should hit
and move, said Biedenbach.
Playi ng someone with similar abil
ity enables students to practice and
provides them with fair competi
tion, according to Biedenbach.
Students who play someone wilh
less skill can practice their tech
niques and try to improve their
game, according to Biedenbach.
Racquetball is also a social sport,
according to students.
“This class allows me to always
have someone to play and compete
against,” said Bobby Creasman, an
undeclared freshman. “It is really
fun.”
Racquetball is an easy game to
learn to play, according to
Biedenbach.
This class provides students with
social involvement, exercise and a
different type of learning than aca
demic classes.
“I really enjoy this class. It offers a
break from the traditional class
room atmosphere,” said Denton.
“I would recommend every stu
dent to take this class at some time
while they are here,” said
Biedenbach.”
Sports Question
of the Week:
A: Gheorghe Muresan.
March 15, 2001
'Dogs Fall to Liberty
Eric Price
Sports Reporter
The UNCA women’s basketball
team, rankeded eighth, lost to top-
ranked Liberty University 57-49 in
the first game of the Big South Con
ference basketball tournament Feb.
28.
“This game, the end of the game, is
the trademark of the UNCA pro
gram. They never quit,” said Coach
Kathleen Weber,
according to the
BSC Web page.
In the
quarterfinal game,
held in Roanoke,
Va, the Bulldogs
were led by sopho
more forward Jes
sica Guarneri, a
First Team All-
Conference selec
tion, according to
the BSC Web
page.
Guarneri, who
was also selected
to the All-Tour-
namentTeam,led
all scorers with 20
points and 17 re
bounds.
The selection of
Guarneri to the
All-Tournament
Team marks the
first time in the
history of the Big
South Conference
tournament that a
player was se
lected to this team
despite her team’s
loss in the quarterfinals, according
the UNCA athletics Web site.
Senior guard Izzy Medhanie fin
ished her final collegiate game with
16 points and four assists.
In the opening minutes of the game.
Liberty leapt out to a 19-5 com
manding lead.
Guarneri opened the game’s scor
ing with a basket from the field.
At halftime, the Bulldogs went into
the locker room down 32-11, with
the Flames receiving points from
eight different players.
Sophomore forward Jessica
Guarneri grabs a rebound.
In the second half of the game,
UNCA jumped out to a 17-4 run
at the 11:19 mark, which was
sparked by Guarneri’s and
Medhanie’s aggressive playing, ac
cording to the BSC Web site.
The Bulldogs came within a two-
point deficit (44-42) at the 3:50
mark on a lay-up by Guarneri,
only to let it slip away to Liberty in
the final minutes.
“We threw the game away more
than they picked up the intensity,”
said Guarneri, according to the
■ BSC Web page.
Liberty coach
Carey Green
said his team’s
bad play in the
second half
nearly ruined
their good play
in the first half
“We celebrated
too early, and we
were fortunate
to get out of here
with a victory,”
Green said, ac
cording to the
BSC Web page.
“There were so
many things we
could have con
trolled that we
stopped control
ling in the sec
ond half,” said
Liberty forward
Michelle Fricke,
according to the
BSC Web page.
“We did not
come out less in
tense, but less fo
cused,” said
Fricke on the
PHOTO COURTESY OF
ATHLETICS WEB SITE
UNCA shot 35.2 percent from
the field and 31.6 percent from
beyond the three-point line.
Liberty went on to win the con
ference tournament for the fifth
straight year, defeating Elon Col
lege 52-47 in the championship
game Feb. 3.
Liberty’s next game will be against
the University of Georgia in the
first round of the women’s NCAA
basketball tournament in Athens,
Ga.
Intramural Soccer Action
AN 1 HUN 1 1 Ati I'MU i OGRAPHER
Undeclared sophomore Casey May passes the bali during a
recent intramural soccer game.