Sept. 26, 2007
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Coming off a 19-9 season and a trip to the round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament, the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team is looking for even bigger things in 2007-08. The team returns five starters and six letterwinners from a team that finished third in the Southeastern Conference with a record of 9-2. The Commodores finished the season ranked No. 16 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
“I really feel like last year’s team, after we got healthy, was one of the best half dozen or eight teams in the country,” head coach Geoff Macdonald said. “We did lose a senior All-American in Amanda Fish, but Keilly Ulery has been a tremendous addition to the team and everyone else is a year older and better so I feel like we can be, very quietly, a little under the radar, one of the top teams in the country.”
Macdonald enters his 13th season as the head coach of the Commodores. Under his direction, the ‘Dores have been to 12 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and have advanced to at least the round of 16 in the last 10 tournaments. During his time at Vanderbilt, Macdonald has amassed an impressive 281-90 record, winning at a nearly 76 percent clip. Even though the program has experienced such success, Macdonald says he is not content with the current state of the program.
“We’re always trying to improve and get better,” Macdonald said. “It’s not about what you’ve done. It’s about where you’re going. I’m actually trying to become a better coach even though I’ve done this for 20 years. I think we’re a program that focuses on constant improvement and enjoying the sport, enjoying the incredible honor of representing Vanderbilt and taking it really seriously.”
A familiar face joins the Commodore coaching staff for this season as former Vanderbilt standout Aleke Tsoubanos enters her first season as assistant coach. Tsoubanos, a three-time All-American while at Vanderbilt, was one of the most successful doubles players in school history. Tsoubanos still holds the record for most doubles victories in a career (119), most doubles victories in a single season (32), and most consecutive doubles matches won (15). After three years of playing professional tennis, Tsoubanos has returned to her alma mater.
“She’s been phenomenal and exceeded my expectations so far,” Macdonald said. “One of the things that was remarkable about Aleke during her career here was that she was so reliable and such a good leader as a young college student. To see her in action now, what she understands and how quickly she absorbs information, is remarkable. She’s on her way to being a great coach and I’m thrilled to have her.”
The 2007-08 Commodore squad should continue in the long line of successful Vanderbilt teams. The squad features three seniors who have enjoyed very successful careers. Taka Bertrand, Caroline Ferrell and Amanda Taylor have each been named All-SEC at one point in their careers and Bertrand was named SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Player of the Year in her sophomore campaign.
“They’ve had great careers here in their three years. I’m really looking for all three to finish very strongly,” Macdonald said. “The intangible of the three is their leadership. So far, they’ve done a wonderful job of setting the tone of what we’re trying to do.”
Taylor enters the 2007-08 season as the highest ranked Commodore, coming in at No. 20 in the preseason ITA poll. Taylor earned first team All-SEC honors last season after going 10-1 in conference singles. Taylor also enjoyed a successful doubles season, partnering with Amanda Fish to earn ITA Doubles All-American honors. The Richland, Wash., native also enjoyed success off the court, being named to the SEC Community Service Team for her work with Preston Taylor Ministries.
“She’s become one of the best players in the country in an almost linear progression,” Macdonald said. “She’s gotten better and better almost every week, month and year. If she works hard and competes hard, she’s somebody who’s one of the best handful of players in the country at her best.”
Bertrand is one of the most decorated women’s tennis players in Vanderbilt history. After earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors, Bertrand followed that up by being named SEC Player of the Year in her sophomore season. The honors continued to roll in for Bertrand last season, being named 2006 Amateur Athlete of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and earning second team All-SEC honors. The Great Falls, Va., native figures to enjoy an equally successful senior season, as she is ranked No. 73 in the preseason ITA poll.
“Last year was a bit of an aberration in that she wasn’t perfect,” Macdonald said. “The year before she was absolutely flawless. She¹s a phenomenal competitor. Maybe one of the top two or three competitors I’ve ever been privileged to coach. I think she’s hungry to get back into the NCAA Tournament as an individual and to add to her collection of great awards.”
Ferrell was named second team All-SEC her sophomore season after going 7-3 in conference matches. Ferrell’s junior campaign saw her play limited action. However, she did score a crucial point in the Commodores upset of eventual national champion Georgia Tech. After a disappointing season last year, Ferrell is looking to return to her form from two years ago.
“I think Caroline was one of the most improved players in the country her sophomore year,” Macdonald said. “I look for her in her senior year to be much more dominant on the court and let her talent flow and shine. She’s somebody who doesn’t know how good she could be. She could be very special.”
Liberty Sveke is one of two juniors on this year’s Commodore squad. Sveke enjoyed a successful SEC season in 2007, going 7-3 while playing at the No. 6 position. Sveke also found success in doubles, teaming up with fellow junior Courtney Ulery for a 9-2 record in SEC play. This season, Sveke figures to be a factor in both singles and doubles again.
“Liberty’s reputation is for being one of the best doubles players around,” Macdonald said. “She’s a brilliant student. She’s working extremely hard. I could see her contributing in both singles and doubles. I would love to see her earn All-SEC and possibly All-American honors.”
Courtney Ulery earned All-SEC second team honors during her freshman season after finishing with an 8-3 record in conference matches. Last season, Ulery scored an upset victory in the Commodores defeat of eventual national champion Georgia Tech, dispatching of the 54th-ranked Amanda Craddock. This season, Ulery figures to play a bigger role in both singles and doubles for the Commodores.
“Courtney has worked really hard over the summer to improve her game,” Macdonald said. “She’s learning a lot more about how to win matches when her A game is off and how to win with a B game. I look for this year to be a statement year from Courtney Ulery.”
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Catherine Newman is the lone sophomore for the Commodores. Newman enters her sophomore season ranked No. 28 in singles by the ITA. The Greensboro, N.C., native enjoyed a very successful freshman campaign, making an immediate impact in both singles and doubles. She earned first team All-SEC honors after finishing with a 9-2 singles record in conference matches. Newman finished the season ranked No. 40 in singles. The sophomore also teamed with Bertrand to form a formidable doubles tandem that finished 9-2 in conference matches.
“I almost run out of superlatives thinking about Catherine,” Macdonald said. “She has a great ground game and is a tremendous athlete. She’s arguably the fittest player in the country. She’s known for her speed and her incredible ability to compete.”
A pair of freshman join the Commodores in 2007-08 as Katie Kilborn and Keilly Ulery make their collegiate debuts. Kilborn, a native of Marietta, Ga., won four state championships while at Walton High School. She was named 2007 Student-Athlete of the Year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kilborn also excelled off the court, graduating with a 4.41 GPA and finishing 20th in a class of 600.
“I look for her to keep getting better all year,” Macdonald said. “She’s a great student. I think playing in this environment against great players every day in training, she could be a real sleeper recruit in college tennis.”
Joining Kilborn in the freshman class if Keilly Ulery, younger sister to Courtney. Keilly comes to the Commodores as one of the most sought after recruits in college tennis, after finishing her junior career ranked in the top 20. Ulery finished in the top 12 in Girls’ 18 at the 2007 USTA National Clay Court Championships.
“I predict great things for her here at Vanderbilt,” Macdonald said. “Her ground strokes are among the best in the country. She was a top-20 junior and we feel really fortunate to have her at Vanderbilt.”
With a good mixture of senior leadership and young talent, the Commodores should be a force in both the conference race and on the national scene.
“The key this year for our team is development,” Macdonald said. “Anyone can improve so much more than they know they can. My job is to convince them that they can improve a little bit more and at the same time, conveying that in such a way, that it’s positive. They¹re all really good players. They’re great people. If everyone sort of really breaks through and commits and tries to really, really lay it on the line, we can be formidable and that’s when it’s fun.”
