Season Preview: Women’s Tennis optimistic about young roster for 2021-22 season
By Wes Mayberry
ADA — Youth is the theme for Ohio Northern's 2021-22 women's tennis team.
The Polar Bears have added seven freshmen to the roster this year for what will be a youth-laden group that also includes two sophomores and four juniors.
"I'm pretty sure we'll have the youngest team in the conference and, quite possibly, one of the youngest starting lineups in the region as well," 21st-year head coach Scott Wills said. "But our program is used to reloading, and I'm looking forward to this year. We have a really good recruiting class with a solid returning nucleus, and if we focus on working together and getting better each day, I'm excited about what we can accomplish."
Northern is coming off an 8-2 spring season but is undergoing a youth movement following the departure of fifth-year seniors Mackenzie Wills, Katie Curry and Jordan Dodson and their combined 378 career wins. But that doesn't mean the expectations are any lower.
"We lost some experienced starters who brought a lot of wins to the program. With that said, though, our program is about the next person up, and we have a good class coming in, and we want to continue where we left off," Wills said. "Our goal every year is to be in contention for a conference championship and be one of the top Division III programs, and that doesn't change just because we have a younger roster."
Wills will look to a pair of returning All-OAC selections in sophomore Olivia Kesner (Lima/Central Catholic) and junior Regan Landis (Elkhart, Ind./Concord) to lead the way this season.
Kesner earned First Team All-Conference honors in the spring after posting a combined record of 12-5. She was 3-2 at No. 2 singles, 3-0 at No. 3 singles and 6-3 at No. 1 doubles.
"Olivia has excellent strokes and competed at a high level last year," Wills said. "I look forward to her building on her foundation and a great freshman year in continuing her accomplishments to help our team."
Landis, a Second Team All-OAC pick in the spring, is the team captain and returns after going a combined 14-3 as a sophomore. She was 3-1 at No. 2 singles, 2-2 at No. 3 singles and 9-0 at No. 3 doubles.
"Regan is one of the toughest outs on our team because she's not going to give the other team unforced errors," Wills said.
Juniors and two-year letter winners Jeorgia Templin (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) and Flo Sanchez (West Chester/Lakota West) also return for 2021-22.
After going a perfect 8-0 at No. 2 doubles in the spring, Templin is expected to see more action in singles play this season.
"Jeorgia is an accomplished doubles player that has great doubles instincts and a solid game, and we're looking for her to raise her game and help in singles this year as well," Wills said. "And Flo has continued to develop her game and leverage a great power game base."
Sophomore Mykaela Schriber (Kenton) is also a key member of the returning group after showing promise in the spring with a combined 3-0 record at Nos. 4 and 6 singles.
"Mykaela made great strides in her game as a freshman, including stepping into the lineup in key matches," Wills said.
The rest of the roster consists of all newcomers, including a first-year player in junior Cassie Stuber (Lima/Central Catholic) and freshmen Marisa Petrunich (Brownsburg, Ind.), Katie O'Connell (Novi, Mich./St. Catherine of Siena), Irena Loth (Cleves/McAuley), Julianne Sheldon (Ashtabula/St. Johns), Miranda Wills (Ada), Victoria Santana (Humacao, Puerto Rico/Colegio San Antonio Abad) and Sarah Michael (Parkersburg, W.Va./Wood County Christian).
"We have some solid freshmen with very diverse games," Wills said. "I'm looking forward to their enthusiasm and hard work in taking the leap to the college level and contributing from day one."
With a career record of 389-104 (OAC record of 147-17), Wills is the all-time wins leader in Ohio college women's tennis history, which includes all NCAA Division I, II and III programs, and he was recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association last November as one of the top 10 all-time winningest women's tennis coaches in the nation.
He is looking to keep that success going in 2021-22 starting this fall with a trio of doubleheaders and the three-day Oberlin Invitational.
The Polar Bears open the season on Sept. 5 with a doubleheader against Adrian (Mich.) and Manchester (Ind.) at Adrian College.
The season continues with the Oberlin Invitational on Sept. 10-12 and a doubleheader against Franklin (Ind.) and Rose-Hulman (Ind.) at Franklin College on Sept. 25.
Northern's fall schedule also includes a home doubleheader against Concordia (Mich.) and Muskingum on Oct. 2.
"We're playing a lot of tennis, which is a good opportunity for us to use as a measuring stick to help us improve in the offseason to get ready for the spring," Wills said.
The team's spring schedule will be released at a later date.