The Clark Atlanta University Lady Panthers tennis team is starting out the 2020 season just as they ended it – looking to tackle a challenge.
The Lady Panthers, the defending Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's tennis champions, open the new season today at 1 p.m. at CAU Tennis Courts when they host Georgia Southwestern University. The lady Panthers also play on Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in SIAC play against Fort Valley State in both matches.
CAU finished 16-4 last season, won the SIAC title and earned an NCAA Division II tournament bid.
Today, they face Georgia Southwestern was one of the few teams to defeat the Lady Panthers last season, winning 6-1.
Also, on their schedule this year is a Division I Georgia State, and a West Alabama program that has won 33 matches over the past two years.
The tougher competition is by design, said CAU Head Coach
Tara Turner.
"The goal is to repeat and go further," Turner said. "I was intentional that we were playing schools that would be considered to be on a different level than us because I want us to get to a point where we are able to compete past the conference [championships] level – if we are so fortunate to get to that point. We would like to be able to make it past the first round of the NCAA regionals, so we have to raise the caliber of teams that we are playing against in order to do that."
Clark Atlanta features three seniors –
Alexis Fletcher,
Akilah Parker and
Vanessa Eusebio. Parker was the SIAC's Player of the Year last season, going 9-3 in singles play last season and teamed with Fletcher to go 10-0 in doubles play. Eusebio was also an All-SIAC performer last season and made the All-Tournament team with Parker.
Parker and Eusebio are the team's co-captains this season.
"They both contribute to the team in very different, but necessary, ways, so we get a chance to see their leadership and take on the responsibility as team captains and usher in the new players," Turner said.
Turner said her team has been looking forward to get a new season started after last year's championship season. But they know the pressure is on this year.
"Everybody is gunning for us, versus us being able to go in as an underdog and come out champs, so the pressure is on a little bit," she said. "But it is exciting. It's invigorating and I'm looking forward to seeing if we can clinch the title again this year."
