Jan. 25, 2005
The Fighting Illini have a new, younger look this season with the loss of four starters from last year's squad, but that's not enough to deter the ever-optimistic Coach Sujay Lama from thinking Illinois will once again be among the contenders for a Big Ten championship.
Gone are three players who exhausted their eligibility, Jennifer McGaffigan, Tiffany Eklov and Eva Choe, as well as would-be sophomore Isabel Jarosz, all of whom helped the Illini to their best-ever national ranking (16) and a very near miss in their quest for the program's first Big Ten title.
McGaffigan started every match in both singles and doubles during her four-year career with the Orange and Blue. She is the all-time leader in career singles (105), doubles (104) and combined (209) victories. Eklov's 85 career singles wins put her at No. 4 on the all-time UI list. All told, the quartet accounted for 54 percent of the team's singles triumphs and was involved in 76 percent of the squad's doubles wins.
But the cupboard is not bare for Lama (in his seventh season at Illinois and as a head college coach) and his staff.
The five returning players are experienced, and they are joined by a strong, skilled group of freshmen whom Lama believes will have an important and immediate impact on the program.
For starters, all four of them arrived on campus during the summer, living together and traveling with one another to tournaments.
"They've already become a very cohesive unit, not only among themselves as freshmen, but also with the older players," Lama said at the beginning of the fall season.
Macall Harkins, from Verdes Estates, Calif., is six feet tall and left-handed--two factors that will help her be a factor right away.
"Macall is very strong; she can be a dominating player at times," said Lama. "Over the summer she proved she can play with the best, but like all freshmen, there are things she needs to work on, such as her all-court mobility. She will play for us right away, but as she fine tunes her skills, she could have a major impact on our season."
Momei Qu, on the other hand, stands just five-feet-three inches tall. The Beijing, China-born, Portland-Oregon native, has a very different game from Harkins, but can be just as effective.
"Momei is tenacious on the court," said Lama, "a go-getter and a thinker. She is the type of player that will find a way to get past adversity, to get better and to win matches. She will not beat herself. She needs more strength and her serve needs to improve, but if she works hard, she will really help our team in the spring."
Anastasia Sokolova, who comes to Illinois from Russia by way of Palm Harbor, Fla., is a diamond in the rough that reminds Lama of Eklov.
"Anastasia is a phenomenal athlete; she is a very powerful player, and she has a strong work ethic. She is a lot like Tiffany was when she came in--powerful, but in need of refinement and experience. Anastasia has raw talent, but if she can be patient through some ups and downs, she will become a force to be reckoned with. It's just a matter of time."
Elizabeth Dolan is a home-grown talent; she hails from Lake Forest, Ill. Lama thinks she has the potential to contribute right away, particularly on the doubles side.
"Elizabeth is a late developer--she just needs experience. She has a good attitude and drive, and amazing fitness and work ethic. She is very hungry to succeed and really wants to be at Illinois."
With freshmen composing nearly half the roster, there will be a premium on leadership this season. The newcomers would be wise to follow senior Cynthya Goulet, the team's only returning ranked player.
Goulet teamed with McGaffigan to pull the team's highest-ever doubles ranking, No. 7, before earning an NCAA Tournament bid. In addition, she assembled Illinois' longest singles winning streak last season--she won her last 15 matches of the year, and seems ready to pick up where she left off. Lama is counting on her to lead the charges in 2004-05.
"Cynthya had a breakthrough year," said the coach. "She really turned out to be the missing piece of our puzzle. If she stays hungry, motivated and injury free (she took the summer off to rehabilitate), the sky is the limit for her. She is one of the best talents in the Big Ten, both in singles and in doubles."
Leila Cehajic, another senior, brings plenty of intangibles to the squad, according to Lama, even though she hasn't seen a great deal of playing time.
"Leila did a good job leading last year, despite the fact that she wasn't one of the three seniors. The team will look to her even more this season, along with Cynthya. Hopefuly she can share the value of her experience with the other players. That will be important to the success of our team."
The disappointing end to Illinois' season a year ago spoke volumes about then-sophomore Brianna Knue's value to the team. After her season-ending foot injury against Michigan Apr. 17, the Illini managed a win the next day against Michigan State, but finished the year with three losses, one in the regular-season finale at Indiana for a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship, one in the opening round of the conference tournament and the last in the NCAA Tournament opener.
"Brianna has never been this hungry," said Lama. "She really wants to get going this season. Over the summer, she put in lots of time working on her fitness and her tennis techniques, and it will pay dividends for her. Brianna's game will be at another level this season, when all is said and done. Along the way, I think you will see her emerge as one of our team leaders, both vocally and by example."
Pavlina Akritas, also a junior, will also be fighting for a spot in the lineup. She missed her freshman year with a knee injury, and ended up earning some playing time late last year when Knue went down with her injury.
"Pavlina is one of the hardest workers around," said Lama. "Her desire is unparalleled. She is relentless, and that rubs off on the rest of the team, which is such a positive. She still needs some refinement on her technique, and if she can make those improvements, she'll be back in the lineup again."
Lama is looking for an important contribution this season from the team's only sophomore, Emily Wang, particularly in doubles.
"Emily is very talented, especially in doubles," he said. "She's one of our best. She went through a tough freshman year, but she showed great dedication over the summer. I think she learned last season what it takes to be successful at this level: hard work and a professional approach. She was our most improved player when she returned to school in the fall. She's put the time in, and it will pay off for her and the team."
Lama has crafted a schedule appropriate for this young squad, with 14 home dual matches and eight on the road. Still, the slate represents a major challenge for the Illini, since the Big Ten is so strong. Seven conference teams made the NCAA Tournament last year; four of them were ranked among the Top 25, and the league shows no signs of declining this season. Due to a scheduling quirk, the Orange and Blue will play seven of its Big Ten matches at home, and only three on the road. Three other top teams will play at the UI Atkins Tennis center this year: Wake Forest, Tennessee and Notre Dame, all of whom finished among the nation's top 32 teams last spring.
"We want to be challenged, but we also want to have chances for success," said Lama. "This season will have plenty of ups and downs. That's the way it usually happens when you have so much youth. We just need to peak in April and May.
"Our goals are to win the Big Ten title and reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament," he said. "We are already a top 25 team, but we want to move up."
