First-year coach Nate Price will build the defending Michigan
Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) champions around five
returning letterwinners.
Familiar with the Hope scene as head tennis professional of the
college's DeWitt Tennis Center, Price is filling the position created
by the death from cancer of longtime coach Karen Page in July, 2009.
He will be assisted by 2009 Hope graduate Samantha Stille who was the
conference MVP last spring.
The 2009 Flying Dutch won the MIAA championship for the first time in
a decade posting a perfect 8-0 dual match and 3-0 conference
tournament mark. They posted an overall 20-6 dual match record,
including a string of 15 consecutive victories, and advanced to the
second round of the NCAA Division III championships.
The returnees include three-time senior letterwinners Marissa Kooyers
of Holland (Holland Christian HS), team captain Elizabeth Olson of
Ankeny, Iowa (Ankeny HS), and Danielle Werley of Holland (Holland HS).
Returning junior letterwinners are Katherine Garcia of Battle Creek
(Battle Creek Central HS) and Nicole Spagnuolo of Okemos (Okemos HS).
Garcia and Spagnuolo received All-MIAA second team honors last spring.
Each won 15 singles matches as sophomores and combined at second
flight doubles to record 23 wins including two victories at the NCAA
tournament.
A season highlight will be hosting the MIAA championship tournament on
April 30-May 1.
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