Q&A with Paige McMurray
9/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
You went to the NCAAs in 2004, how do you think the chances are to get the team back there in 2005?
Paige: I think the chances are very good, we have a very strong team. Getting there last year and having everyone back with the exception of one new player that went last year with this team, I think they really saw what it was about and before that I don't think they really knew what an accomplishment and what a great thing it really was. Being in that room and seeing our name on the TV and really having our whole season round to that day was really exciting for them. I think we have a great chance of getting back, we have to take care of business and it is a long way away, but I think our chances are great.
Of the seven ladies, whom do you expect the most from this season?
Paige: Oh that is hard to say, I think you take an individual sport and turn it into a team sport and it is very strange. I think for obvious reasons, watching Dani compete last year, knowing that she is top 30 in the country this year, beginning her junior season. We have to keep her healthy, but I think she has the chances to make a big dents in the rankings this season and really go far for this team, but we can't make it to the NCAAs with her alone so I think it is very hard to answer. But I expect out of Lisette, she is very hungry for a good season. She knows that this is her last opportunity to take advantage of being a college athlete. Being from Venezuela, she would never have had that opportunity otherwise and she does not take anything for granted. She has come out this fall and is playing so well. As a coach, I expect great this from all of them, but I have to be realistic. Those two are our leaders right now, with two freshmen, with Carla and a new coming in at semester, both have good international experience so I expect a lot out of them too. I expect a lot out of all of them.
Who would be your biggest surprise?
Paige: I would like to see Kindsay do well this year, as a freshman last year she did not get to play much in singles, she did well in doubles, but I would really like to see her do well this year. I want to see her get in there in the line up, and show how much talent she has. She came into college lacking in experience, not in talent, but in experience and that has hurt her because most of the people she is playing against started a lot younger than she did and have played in many more tournaments than her. I want to see her in the lineup and really help this team because she is a good team player. I would like to see Tiffany Smith stay healthy this year, she was unhealthy last year and will probably end up getting a redshirt for last season. I would like her to be healthy and get back in there this year. Santi is nails and I expect her to be the same this year too. She has one season under her belt so I think she has seen what it is all about and is eager to play again.
You mentioned this being an individual and a team sport, what are the goals on both levels?
Paige: I do a thing every year where they state their individual goals, I think individuals goals are really important, especially in the fall season. A lot of their goals are getting ranked, not only do they want the team ranked, they want to be individually ranked. That is really important, they are have many individual goals and I would like to see them accomplish. They know that I feel that the team goals are much more important than the individual goals. Our number one goal is to win a conference championship and make it to the NCAA tournament, but a lot of individual goals blend well with what we try to do as a team. One of their goals is to win all their matches and the more they win, the more the team wins..
What does having so many people back do to the dynamic of the team?
Paige: With having so many people back offers us so much experience. Carla coming in, the new player coming in at semester makes us so much deeper and as a coach that is a great thing. Carla is left-handed; she brings an advantage already by just being left-handed. She comes with very good international experience, she is not afraid to compete. Many times freshman are afraid to compete, but she does not have that personality. Our new player coming in at the semester will be a little nervous but has so much international experience that she can really bring depth to the team and add on more notch in our belt, which is exciting.
How important are Dani's preseason rankings?
Paige: There are important because it shops how well she did last year. Preseason rankings are a reflection of the final season rankings from the last year. When you take out all the seniors and everyone stays in there because new freshman are not in those top 100 singles. I think it gives her a great starting point to begin the year, she will be a target because she is nationally ranked, she can't allow herself to have a bad day. She can't allow herself those days like we all have, everyone will be out to get her for a national win. It gives her an advantage over a lot of other players because it is an intimidating factor. It is important, it gives her a starting point to build. She is not satisfied with number 29, but she is happy with it and looks forward to bringing it up.
What do you use these fall tournaments for?
Paige: As a coach, you always like to compete, you don't really like to practice. I am excited to get them out here to play again. I use it as a gauge to see what we need to work on, what we need to improve, what are our strengths, what are our doubles combinations going to be cause we many go to fall tournaments and decide certain people should not play together, or that they should play together, it gives us an opportunity to figure that out before we go into a dual match situation when there is a lot more riding on it for the team.
Could you comment on the tough schedule ahead of you this semester and next?
Paige: Yes. We've switched our schedule up a little. I am a firm believer that you have to play good teams in order to get better and I tried to make my schedule reflect that. I think you also need to give your team plenty of opportunity to play teams ranked ahead of them but also enough schools on their schedule that are similar in competitiveness to where you have really close, tight matches. Some you should walk away with wins and some not and I think that really builds character and teaches them how to compete because at this level, they are all good tennis players and they all have very good mechanics. Obviously there are things we work on here and there but most of this is teaching them how to be the best competitor possible. I think that's what this type of schedule does-it gives them a few breaks but gives them the opportunity, every time they walk out on the court, to compete and that's very important, because I think that the team who makes it through that and succeeds is going to be the team that ends up at the NCAA's and that's our ultimate goal. I am excited about the Baylor tournament, we usually go to Arkansas so I think this will be a good change, give our players the opportunity to play some new teams. We are going to a tournament in Palm Springs, I'm not taking the whole team, I'm taking four or five and we're going to play some west coast teams and I think it will be a good change. Hopefully, we can get something good out of the regional tournament, maybe get someone to win regionals and get us to National Indoors.
Break down your WAC opponents for next year.
Paige: The WAC is tough. We don't play too many of the normal conference teams until the tournament so sometimes we don't really know what to expect. We certainly would like to have revenge on SMU for our loss last year, we did not expect to lose that and they played really well and came back and beat us against some one who had really only lost six matches all year so that was a tough loss for us so we are definitely looking forward to playing them, they are always good. Fresno is always good. We play UTEP this year, which we haven't played in a few years in a regular season schedule. It will be interesting. Being our last season in the WAC, we would sure love to go out with a conference championship, so that's our goal.
Players Mentioned
