Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Meadowdale Showing Promise

Meadowdale showing promise
Senior Dow back to defend singles crown
By David Pan  Enterprise Sports editor        

A young Meadowdale girls tennis team is showing some early season promise despite being in what coach Mark Schneider describes as a rebuilding situation.
While Schneider is looking to the future, his 18-player roster has some good experience at the top. Senior Josie Dow is back and looking to defend her Western Conference 3A singles crown and improve upon her 1-2 performance at the state tournament. Dow has been tested this season and has responded with victories in all but one of her matches, a three-set loss to archrival Meera Limaye of Shorecrest.
The two battled back and forth last season with Dow defeating the Scot freshman in a winner-to-state match at the district tournament.
“It’s a friendly rivalry,” Schneider said. “They have a lot of respect for each other.”
Dow has come into 2011 with not only more power but an improved mental game, according to Schneider.
“She’s probably worked a lot of singles strategy and overall consistency,” he said.

The wet spring weather has meant the Mavericks have spent a lot more time in the gym working on conditioning.
The new Wesco 3A with the addition of Shorewood and Mountlake Terrace shouldn’t impact Dow too much in her quest for a second straight trip to state. “She’s still the same athlete as last year,” Schneider said. “She’s going to do just as well this year.” The Mavericks’ singles lineup behind Dow includes junior Isabel Reeb and seniors Vanessa Wood and Breanna Sankey. “All of them are hard workers,” Schneider said. “They’ve all improved their games from last year,”Woo is bringing some of her doubles’ skills to the singles’ game. “That’s helped her quite a bit,” Schneider said. “Her net game has improved. She plays very aggressively in singles because of her doubles experience.”
Seniors Tessa Helber and Kayleigh Barrett are a new doubles team that has stood out for the Mavericks. Barnett is a year-round player, while Helber is simply a superb all-around athlete, Schneider said.
“She (Helber) just brings her raw athleticism to the tennis court,” he said.
A returning doubles team are juniors Sarah Hamburg and Jennifer Bishop.
“They communicate well and are very aggressive getting to the net,” Schneider said.

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