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1/12/2006 The Commodores will host Montana State and Michigan State this weekend to kick off regular season play. In 2005 Vanderbilt Head Coach Geoff Macdonald helped lead the Commodores to a 22-6 overall record and an eigth place national ranking. To start 2006, Macdonald plans to have freshmen Liberty Sveke (Sarasota, Fla.), Courtney Ulery (Wellington, Fla.) and Maggie Yahner (Las Vegas, Nev.), play in both contests. “We have to teach the freshman what a dual match is like. There’s a new rhythm and you’re playing as a team. The quicker they can learn to be successful at this the better they’ll be,” Macdonald said. Of the three freshman on the squad this year, the most widely recruited player during high school was Yahner, out of Fort Lauderdale Preparatory. Yahner was ranked seventh in the nation in the USTA Girls 18 when she committed to Vanderbilt. “[Yahner] has come a long way and has the physical skills to become an All- American. She’s a really good competitor with tough, raw talent,” Macdonald said. The freshmen will look to VU’s most experienced player, junior Amanda Fish for leadership this weekend. In 2005 Fish marked a perfect 11-0 season in SEC play at the No. 2 singles slot and earned a spot on the 2005 All-SEC first team. Sophomore and former SEC Freshman of the Year Taka Bertrand will mostly likely sit out both matches due to a minor injury, according to Macdonald. “We are really just excited to get started dual match season started,” Vanderbilt will host Montana State at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 13, followed by Michigan State on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. Both matches will take place at the Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center. |
