Coach Kerry Frantz’s team is going to find out right away if that very small margin has been closed. The Scots travel to play the Foresters on Sunday at 1 p.m. after opening their season today and tomorrow at a tournament hosted by Quincy University.

"The Lake Forest match is critical," said Frantz, who calls three-time defending champion Grinnell the prohibitive South Division favorite. The top two teams from each division qualify for the MWC tourney.

For the Fighting Scots to move forward, they will again need solid play at the top of the lineup from the coach’s daughter, junior Cassie Frantz, and classmate Brittany Donnelly. Frantz was 8-7 in No. 1 singles action last fall, and she and Donnelly combined to post a 10-6 doubles mark.

"It would be hard to break them up," said Frantz of the pairing that was the No. 1 seed at last year’s MWC tourney. "They both understand each other’s games very well."

Both veterans had productive off-seasons, and Frantz said that was the case with his entire team.

"This was my first opportunity to be with the team for the whole year," said Frantz. "That helped me set up an off-season program for them, and we came back a lot closer to being in great tennis shape, rather than being out of shape and having to focus on that for the first few weeks. This was also the first time I had the opportunity to recruit."

Since Frantz and Donnelly are the only veteran singles players in the lineup, a strong group of newcomers was needed, and Frantz was pleased by the team’s additions, which include Emily Isaacs (Rock Island), Anne Speer (Macomb) and Kim Wegner (Dixon). Wegner figures to move into the No. 2 singles position and will team with Isaacs at No. 2 doubles. Both players have state tournament experience from high school.

Donnelly is slotted for the No. 3 spot; Speer, who Frantz coached in high school, will play No. 4; and Isaacs has the No. 5 position.

Junior Maddie Ethington, who won five doubles matches last fall, has cracked the singles rotation this fall as the No. 6 player. She will again be counted on in doubles, as well, partnering with Speer as the No. 3 team.

"Last year, we were pretty strong 1-3 in singles, but I think we go pretty deep this year, all the way to No. 6," said Frantz. "The matches we lost 5-4 last year should turn in our favor this year and be 5-4 or 6-3 wins."

While Frantz’s goal for the team is to be one of four MWC squads in the playoffs, he believes some of his players should have lofty individual goals, too. The Frantz/Donnelly tandem should again be among the league’s best in doubles, and the duo of Wegner/Isaacs are also "a legitimate threat to win a title."

Rounding out the Scots roster are sophomores Rachel Bognar, Sarah McLinden and Kayla Seyller and freshman Akilah Allen (Whitney Young).

The Scots play six home matches at the MC Tennis Stadium this fall, starting Sept. 12 when Illinois Wesleyan comes to town.

Women's Tennis