THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1996 TAG: 9608280225
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 25 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 113 lines
If traditional girls tennis power Great Bridge is ever going to be vulnerable, 1996 could be the year.
The opening of Hickory has siphoned off some of the defending champion Wildcats' depth, not to mention a player who went 19-3 at Great Bridge last year. Only two starters are back from a year ago, the first campaign since 1991 Great Bridge didn't have the district singles champion. And the arrival of Group AA power Lakeland and Nansemond River from the Bay Rivers District, coupled with the removal of perennially weak Norcom and Wilson, makes the Southeastern arguably as strong top to bottom as it has ever been.
Still, only a fool would completely write off a team which enjoys stability in its coaching ranks and can draw from an enviable supply of players who have been at least been exposed to the game. No, this isn't vintage Great Bridge. But it should surprise no one if the Wildcats wind up still having enough to prevail in what could be the most competitive title chase in recent memory.
Lakeland, which won four district titles and a state crown in six years as a Group AA school, should mount a strong challenge. Familiarity with each other should benefit the Suffolk schools, as there's only been an eight-week break between the end of the Group AA spring season and the Aug. 5 start of this fall's practice.
The most intriguing team is Hickory, which obviously has no track record but does feature freshman Jessica Strickler, the most talented newcomer the league has seen in years and a potential answer to the trivia question: Who won the first individual district title in school history?
Here's a team-by-team look at the district:
GREAT BRIDGE
Coaches: Ginny Matish and Kay Stone
Key players: players: Nathalie Vandenheiligenberg, Sr.; Jennifer Little, Sr.; Beth Hartley, Jr.; Catherine Hanson, So.; Megan Keith, Sr.; Tiffany Quash, Sr.
Outlook: The Wildcats receive a big boost with the return of projected No. 1 Vandenheiligenberg, who sustained an on-court hip injury early last season and missed the rest of the year. Little has cut back on a budding national rollerskating career to hold down the No. 2 slot. No bona fide tennis phenoms in the group, but as usual, the Wildcats will have more players who know what they're doing than any other team.
LAKELAND
Coach: Anne Bender
Key players: Dawn Harrell, Sr.; Lisa Allmond, Jr.; Carla King, So.; Kristy Gibson, Sr.; Amanda Joyner, So.; Megan Horan, So.
Outlook: Five of the top six return from last year's Group AA, Region I runner-up. The top slot could belong to Harrell, who sat out last season but played No. 4 two years ago, when Lakeland reached the AA state final. Strong play should also come from Allmond, who hung out on the summer junior tournament circuit and returned with three singles titles.
HICKORY
Coach: Marina Bass-Thomas
Key players: Jessica Strickler, Fr.; Marian Withers, Sr.; Alison Burnop, Fr.; Michelle Withers, So.; Beth Swanson, So.; Corey Wood, Jr.
Outlook: Exceptionally strong at the top with Strickler, who is currently ranked No. 10 in the girls 14s division of the Mid-Atlantic Region. Marian Withers, the team's only senior, went 19-3 as Great Bridge's No. 4 player a year ago. No other Hawk has these kinds of credentials, but the presence of such strength at the top of the order could take a lot of pressure off everyone else.
NANSEMOND RIVER
Coach: Chavez Mabry
Key players: Chelsea Green, Fr.; Rebecca Sherrard, Jr.; Megan Grady Sr.; Cynthia Evans, Jr.
Outlook: The Warriors could have a real winner in Green, who according to Mabry needs only to develop her mental game to become one of the top players in the district. Mabry, a nationally certified coach, has worked with many of his players in the past. The Warriors could also receive a boost from Sergue Denis, a foreign exchange student from Turkey.
WESTERN BRANCH
Coaches: Ginny Brandriff and Karen Warren.
Key players: Jennifer Lee, Laura Whitehurst, Megan Halsted, Jamie Mead, Sally Nold, Brooke Preas, Lena Lilley, Erin Nagle and Lindsay Simpson.
Outlook: The team's fortunes took a hit when Erica Villaros, the runner-up to Indian River's Helena Carvalho in the district singles tournament, decided to forgo tennis and combine her junior and senior years academically to graduate early and begin working toward becoming a dental hygienist. Still, enthusiasm is high at Western Branch, as 38 girls came out for the team and the coaches are planning on nurturing a B team.
DEEP CREEK
Coach: Anne Pitt
Key players: Cecilia Bentalon, Sr.; Michelle Gettier, Sr.; Rachel Smith, Jr.; Crystal Jordan, Fr.; Rachel Harris, So.
Outlook: Although the players are generally short on match experience, Pitt will field her most athletic team in years, as the roster of 13 includes Hornets gymnastics star Melissa Suter. Such all-sports skills, along with the team's eagerness to learn, has the normally conservative coach confidently predicting the Hornets will be a stronger, deeper squad than a year ago.
INDIAN RIVER
Coach: C.J. Cornell
Key players: Stephanie Esposo, Sr.; Natalie Longeran, Sr.
Outlook: The Indians are coming off a breakthrough season during which foreign exchange student Helena Carvalho won the district singles title, No. 2 Erin Irelan went unbeaten in the regular season and the Braves qualified for the Eastern Region tournament. The loss of eight of that team's 12 players makes a repeat unlikely. The Braves didn't officially begin practice until Monday, and Cornell is still sorting through the newcomers.
OSCAR SMITH
Coach: George Sheperty
Key players: Thuy Lam, Jr.; Carmony Hartwig, Sr.; Kirsten Honeycutt, Sr.; Amanda Worley, So.; Crystal Parsons, So.; LaToya King, So.; Sequoia King, So.
Outlook: Sheperty was been working with the nucleus of this group for the past two years and thinks this season could mark a breakthrough. Eight players return from a year ago. There aren't a lot of year-round players on hand, but Sheperty likes this team's overall competitiveness. ILLUSTRATION: SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT GIRLS TENNIS PREVIEW
Lisa Allmond, a Lakeland junior, is expected to be a strong player
after a summer of tournament playing. by CNB