With three National Championships, seven NCAA semifinal or final appearances in 14 years and a 293-82 record since MWC's first NCAA Division III Tournament trip in 1982,expectations are perennially high for MWC women's tennis teams. While the 1995-96 Eagles may not have reached their national goals, they did continue their domination at the conference level (sixth straight Capital Athletic Conference crown), posted three big match victories over Division I opponents, and finished 17th nationally.
Mary Washington lost just one senior to graduation in '96, and returns all top-six players. MWC's #1 singles and doubles player, Kirsten Erickson (Jr./Duluth, MN), returns after a stellar 1995-96 campaign. Erickson (17-13 in singles and 21-8 in doubles) was named CAC Player of the Year after winning titles in both singles and doubles. She was selected to both the NCAA Division III singles and doubles competition. Erickson and partner Leah Morris (So./Prince George, VA) won the 32-team Rolex Regional Tournament, and finished sixth at Rolex Nationals, even with Erickson breaking her left wrist just days before the tourney. Erickson and Morris were also NCAA doubles quarterfinalists in '96. Morris went 22-9 at #2 singles last season, and won a CAC singles title.
Two rising seniors will likely become four-year starters. Jaime Evans (Port Charlotte) went 20-4 at #3 singles, winning 16 of her final 17 matches en route to the CAC singles crown. Evans teamed with Jen Cogar (Lake Placid, NY) for a 14-8record and a CAC title at #2 doubles in '96. Cogar went 13-13at #4 singles, and was a CAC finalist. At #5, then-freshman Kelley Gallagher (Richmond, VA) went 19-6 in singles and won the CAC title. She also went 12-5 at #3 doubles. Rising junior Liz Siciliano (E. Setauket, NY) was 12-4 at #6 singles, and captured a CAC championship.