Jeff Hamilton has assembled his deepest squad in his three years as head tennis coach at Shawnee State.  The Bears return six members of last year’s squad and add seven newcomers.  Rachel Smalley returns to the squad after sitting out last season.  The Bears will need this added depth as they face a challenging schedule.  Four of the seven teams SSU faces this season are ranked or received votes in the NAIA pre-season poll. 

Jen Cummins, Jessica Cooper, Angel Ross, April Holbrook, Cindy Leach, and Jessica Bonzo return from last season.  Cooper has been the most accomplished singles player with five wins over her career.  The other returners have had much more success playing doubles than singles over their careers.  

In addition to the returning players, Rachel Smalley rejoins the team after a year off.  She compiled a 4-6 singles record as a freshman to go along with a 6-4 record in doubles.  

Of the newcomers, Amy Richardson and Ashley Fender are most likely to contribute early.  Fender is also a member of the Shawnee State soccer team.  

“We have a lot of players that are still fairly new to the game of tennis,” said Coach Hamilton.  “They’ve been putting in a lot of work and have been improving each week.  I’m really looking forward to the season.  It should be a great deal of fun.”

Shawnee State opens the season on April 1.  The Bears host 21st ranked Cedarville University.