Aggies in good shape to qualify for MEAC tourney 

GREENSBORO, January 22, 2009 – Rain in the forecast has the North Carolina A&T women’s tennis playing a day before their regularly scheduled season-opener on Jan. 24.

That is just fine with head coach Andy Smith. The Aggies begin the 2009 season on the road at Charlotte University on Friday at 1 p.m. Smith is eager to see how his young, but talented team will play this season. Smith will introduce the collegiate tennis world to three new freshmen in addition to the youthful team he returns from last season.

“I’m not sure what is going to happen, but I’m excited anyway,’’ said Smith. “’We haven’t had much time to prepare because (of the cold) weather, but in the practices we have had, the girls have really been pushing each other hard. So I’m eager to see how they do against competition.”

N.C. A&T comes into this season hoping to end a trend from the last two seasons when the Aggies failed to make the MEAC Tournament. But this is the youngest team of Smith’s three-year tenure at N.C. A&T, so it seems daunting that this will be the year the Aggies advance to the tournament.

There are, however, two things that give Smith optimism. During the fall season, he saw a much improved Aggies team with each player showing their own measure of improvement. Sophomore Winnie Quick, last season’s No. 1 or No. 2 player, looked sharp and even more equipped to have an outstanding college career.

Quick finished the season on a three-match winning streak. As the season progressed, she was moved to the No. 2 singles position where she went 4-2.

“Winnie is a winner and winners know how to adjust their play to make themselves successful,’’ said Smith. “She has learned what it takes to win on the Division I level.”

Another key player who showed improvement during autumn was junior Jaymee Jones. Jones has served as the Aggies No. 2 or No. 3 singles player over her first two seasons at N.C. A&T. Jones has a 5-6 career MEAC record. Jones, who will be a co-captain this season, saw most of her improvement come in the area of consistency.

“Consistency has really been our mantra in practice, and Jaymee has really bought into that,’’ said Smith. “I think that is going to make her a great leader on this team.”

Joining Jones as a captain is senior Destiny Williams. The six-foot Chesapeake, Va., native has constantly improved throughout her career at N.C. A&T. This season she should make a formidable doubles partner as well as pick up some key victories in the lower part of the lineup.

Danielle McCaskill should also do the same for the Aggies. The left-hander out of Durham has seen her ground strokes become better. “Every point counts the same,’’ said Smith about how tennis is scored. “If our No. 6 does well it’s just as important as our No. 1 doing well. It’s so important to be good from top to bottom.”

This brings up Smith’s second reason for optimism. He has depth thanks to his latest recruiting class.

Shondra Redfern (Charlotte, N.C.) could step into a No. 1 or No. 2 singles position this season. She just completed a high school career in which she earned a state ranking in North Carolina. Nina Henry (Atlanta, Ga.) brings to the Aggies a solid serve. She earned a No. 2 ranking among seniors in the state of Georgia. Henry was a three-year captain at Creekside High School. Azeib Nigatu earned a Minnesota ranking, and also adds to the Aggies depth.

“They came in from day one and started pushing people to play better to make into the lineup,’’ said Smith. “In a month from now, they will no longer be freshman. They will be seasoned players on the Division I level. So their youth is not really a concern. We’re just going to keep building and adding parts to the car.”

The big test for the Aggies will come in March when the Aggies compete in the MEAC Round-up in Sumter, S.C., March 4-7. It will likely be decided who the eight teams will be in Raleigh for the MEAC Tournament April 16-18. The Aggies will have another key conference match-up on April 12^th against Florida A&M at the Aggie Tennis Complex.

“The team has been great,’’ said Smith. “They have been in the weight room, and they are getting better. Our goal is to make the MEAC Tournament, and I think this group can get us there.”

And this will make Smith even more excited.