Jamie Baker posted on August 19, 2010 18:00
The area's girls tennis teams will be looking for bigger and better things as the 2010 season gets underway.
Upper Sandusky is the only area team to post a winning record in 2009 as the Rams were 11-8 in Matt Newell's first season as head coach.
They have a standout player to build their lineup around this season as Jordan Coakley returns for her senior season after posting a 19-4 record as a junior while earning first team all-Northern Ohio League honors at No. 1 doubles.
Fostoria Senior and Upper Sandusky will be competing in the NOL for the final time as both schools will move on to new conferences beginning next year.
Jenny Abell begins her ninth season in charge of the Redmen program with seven letterwinners returning, including three-year varsity players Danielle Walter, Breanna Beard and Kali August.
The Redmen already matched last year’s season win total by knocking off Rossford 3-2 in the team’s season-opener Monday.
At Bluffton, Pete Diller is back as head coach and he'll be looking for junior Ashlin Gable to lead the Pirates this season. Gable, one of eight returning letterwinners for Bluffton, earned a trip to the Division II district tournament in doubles action and helped the Pirates to the team championship of the Fostoria Invitational in 2009.
Mary Ellen Lehman is back as the head coach at Ottawa-Glandorf. Lehman coached the Titans from 1995-97 and has five veteran players on the roster, including senior Katelyn Utendorf at No. 1 singles who is a varsity starter for the third straight year.
Bluffton
head coach: Peter Diller.
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Jess Hunter, sr., Emily Sprague, soph., Ashlin Gable, jr., Liz Diller, sr., Kristi Geiser, jr., Amanda Solmonson, jr., Rachel Schlhorst, soph., Shannon Koch, soph.
NOTABLE: Bluffton will expect good things from the doubles team of Ashlin Gable and Emily Sprague.
Fostoria
head coach: Jenny Abell (9th year).
2010 RECORD/CONFERENCE FINISH: 1-16 overall, 0-14 Northern Ohio League.
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Andrea Wyant, sr., 1st singles; Stephanie Porter, sr., 2nd singles; Danielle Walter, 3rd singles/doubles. TOP PROSPECTS: Breanna Beard, 1st doubles; Kali August, sr., 2nd doubles; Karlee Grine, sr., first doubles; Cori Garrett, sr., 2nd doubles/singles; Kendall McCoy, soph.
NOTABLE: With several returning players, Fostoria will look to improve on its 2009 record.
Ottawa-Glandorf
head coach: Mary Ellen Lehman, fourth year, 28-13.
2010 RECORD/CONFERENCE FINISH: 6-10, 8th in WBL.
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Katelyn Utendorf, sr., 1st singles; Kari Leatherman, sr, 2nd singles; Stacy Kahle, sr., 3rd singles; Kristen Zender, sr., 2nd doubles; Kathy Arnold, jr.
TOP PROSPECTS: Ashley Heckman, soph.; Kim Kahle, soph.
NOTABLE: Lehman returns to the helm after coaching the Titans for three years in the late 1990s. Experience at the top of the lineup gives O-G hope for an improved season.
Upper Sandusky
head coach: Matt Newell (2nd year, 11-8).
2010 RECORD/CONFERENCE FINISH: 5th in Northern Ohio League.
RETURNING LETTERWINNERS: Jordan Coakley, sr., 19-4; Olivia Frey, sr., 4-17; Elyse Scheck, sr., 9-7; Kelsey Collins, jr., 6-5.
TOP PROSPECTS: Keera Saylor, jr., Kalyn Thornton, jr., Brittany Lemaster, jr.
NOTABLE: In its last season as a North Central Conference member, Upper Sandusky does not return much varsity experience. If the junior players keep improving, the Rams should be in line for a decent season.