Jan. 8, 2007

The Illinois women's tennis team is geared up for another challenging season in 2007. A new staff is in place, led by head coach Michelle Dasso and assistant coach Dave Emery, bringing with it the knowledge that will take the Fighting Illini back to the forefront of women's collegiate tennis in the Big Ten and in the nation.

Coming off an up-and-down season in 2005-06, the Illini look to a mixture of young and old in the lineup to bring success this coming season.

Emily Wang, the lone senior on the team, will be looked to for leadership on and off the court. Coming off an injury-ridden season, Wang is back in the lineup healthy and ready to take on the obstacles of the coming year. The senior will be a strong player in the back end of the lineup, as well as a vocal leader, something Dasso has already seen out of her returning letterwinner.

"Emily has done an amazing job as captain so far," Dasso said. "She has been injured since last season, but has made significant strides this fall. It is great to see her back on the court and practicing hard."

A leadership role is something the young Illini are going to need, as the lineup will feature three freshmen (Leigh Finnegan, Megan Fudge and Kristina Minor), a sophomore (Shivani Davé), two juniors (Alejandra Meza Cuadra and Momei Qu) and Wang. However, while Wang has displayed true qualities as a leader, her play on the court is what makes her a nice complement to the Illinois lineup.

"Emily hits one of the cleanest balls on the team," Dasso said. "Emily is a tremendous doubles player. She has very good hands great instincts and plays fearlessly, especially in doubles. She has taken the time while she has been recovering to take more of a role off the court, but as soon as she returns to her competitive level, I know she is going to make an immediate impact."

With the team in good hands behind the lead of Wang, the Fighting Illini will next look to its top returnee in Qu. The Portland, Ore., product played primarily at the No. 2 spot in 2005-06, going 15-20. Qu's record, however, does not reflect the improvement and competitive nature that the coaching staff has seen in her so far in practice and in the fall.

"Momei is a fighter," Dasso said. "She has that never give up mentality. She also is very deceiving. A lot of opponents look at her size and underestimate her. Her biggest asset is consistency and ability to move girls around the court. Having two hands on both sides allows her to hit short angles. Momei can hit a ball on a dime."

Qu's 5-3 stature may be deceiving, but Dasso knows that her junior netter will come through when the team needs her.

"Momei can outlast any opponent we play because she is so fit, " Dasso said. "Momei is a hard worker and gets the job done on the court without any complaints. She is feisty and finds a way to win. When she steps onto the court, you know that she is gong to give it her all, and that is all that you can ask as a coach."

Fellow junior Meza Cuadra, on the other hand, is going to be an Illini to watch this coming season after playing primarily at the No. 5-6 spots a year ago. After a year when she went 17-21, the Lima, Peru native is back with a new intensity and work ethic.

"Alejandra is one of the fittest, if not the fittest, player on our team," Dasso said. "Right now, it is imperative that Alejandra builds up her confidence and learns to trust herself. Coach Emery and I definitely believe in her abilities, it's now a matter of her translating that on the court."

Meza Cuadra will be pivotal for the Illini when the season gets underway, as her knowledge of the Big Ten and on-court experience will pay off with such an unseasoned roster.

"We are working on Alejandra during practice to hit through balls," Dasso said. "Alejandra has a lot of variety with her great ground strokes and volleys. We will just continue to work on her using those weapons during a match. Once she starts trusting in her ability, Alejandra is going to be a competitor."

Davé wraps up the returning Illini as the lone sophomore. As an incoming freshman last year, Davé's feisty attitude and `Never say quit' attitude made her a perfect match for the Illinois lineup. Now having one year under her belt, the Concord, Mass., native is ready to hit the courts for another challenging season.

"I am most impressed with Shivani's competitiveness during matches," Dasso said. "She loves to compete and you can tell by just watching her. Shivani hates to lose, and that's what it takes to be successful at the collegiate level."

Despite being an underclassmen, Davé already is seasoned in what it takes to be a winner in women's collegiate tennis.

"Shivani is not afraid to play anyone, which is something that will take her a long way in women's tennis," Dasso said. "During the dual season, Shivani is going to be a rock for us. She is a solid player who steps it up when she needs to during matches. Her biggest asset will be her competitiveness and the hatred of losing. She will never back down during a match, and will continue to bang away from the baseline until the end."

With the base of the lineup set, incoming freshmen Finnegan, Fudge and Minor will be a welcomed addition to this year's roster. The newcomers are what Dasso says will be pivotal to the success of the Orange and Blue throughout the season.

"We have a great freshmen recruiting class," Dasso said. "They all bring a different dynamic to the team, and each is a great start to building a foundation that will bring Illinois tennis back to its tradition of excellence."

A talented high school player from Wilmington, Del., Finnegan has already shown poise during the fall season. However, her continued growth is what makes her so dangerous.

"Leigh is a great asset to our team," Dasso said. "I foresee her making an immediate impact in one of the top spots of our lineup. She hits a big clean ball that knocks her opponents off the court. Right now, we are working on her fitness and conditioning to get her prepared for the heart of our schedule."

A player who will fight to the end, Finnegan also brings with her certain qualities that every team wants and needs on their roster.

"The most impressive part of her game is the fact that she is an all-court player," Dasso said. "It is unusual to find such a well-rounded player, so as a coach, it is great to have that on a roster. She doesn't have many weaknesses. The sky is the limit for Leigh."

Minor, on the other hand, has an entirely different game that is based on her power, a quality that when harnessed, will allow her to be able to compete with the best in the country.

"Kristina has so much power you have to hold her back sometimes, but that is a great problem to have." Dasso said. "She has a ton of potential. She is a big strong athletic girl, who could possibly have the best serve in women's collegiate tennis by the time she graduates."

As a strong player from the baseline, Minor also owns a variety that coupled with her solid strokes from the ground, will make her a hard player to face.

"Kristina's serve sets up every aspect of her game," Dasso said. "Right now, it is a matter of working on her consistency and teaching her when is the best time to unload. But when her serve drops in, it is tough to get a racquet on it. Down the road, she has the potential to be one of the top players in singles and most especially in doubles."

Fudge, the final addition to the squad, is going to be a player that will only get better with time and experience.

"Megan does whatever she needs to do to get better," Dasso said. "Megan is making the transition from playing in Germany where she primarily competed on clay. But, she is a work horse, and there will be times that we will have to stop her from practicing because she just loves playing and always is trying to make herself better."

While the youngster from Kaarst, Germany is new to the American collegiate scene, she has not allowed the challenge to slow her down.

"Megan would go out and practice for hours and hours on end if we let her," Dasso said. "She has already separated herself as a leader for our team, a great quality to see from a freshman. Megan has a huge serve and backhand, and is not one of those players that will give you a ton of free points. She is going to make opponents beat her."

Dasso looks forward to opening the season and seeing what this team is can do with the combination of youth and some upperclassmen experience. "I am very interested to see how this team stacks up against some of the best women in the region and the nation," Dasso said. "We had a solid start to the season in the fall, and will look at improving every time we step foot on the court."

The Fighting Illini also add Bryce Marable in January 2007, putting the final pieces in place for this season's roster. Marable, a transfer from the University of Tennessee, will be just the added fire the Illini will need to start dual match season with success.

"I am excited to add Bryce in January," Dasso said. "Bryce brings with her great experience and will be an immediate impact on the top of our lineup when she comes in the spring."

With such a mixture of talent and fresh faces, Dasso is going to let the season play out before she puts the final touches on her lineup and doubles tandems.

"Each player brings different strengths to the table, so it is going to be the way they play during the Regionals and early competitions that will help us decide who are the best doubles pairs," Dasso said. "Finnegan and Fudge have already shown they have great chemistry, but in the end, we are going to pair those players who put us in the best position to win."

Overall, with a mixture of talent that brings power, finesse, a strong net and baseline game, the Fighting Illini are going to be a well-rounded squad this coming season.