Jan. 4, 2008

On your roster you have one senior and one junior; what kind of pressure is on Zuzana Zemenova and Janka Bielikova to provide leadership for an extremely young, yet extremely talented squad?

Janka's a sophomore, eligibility wise, so really we have a lot of sophomores and freshmen, and then ZZ is the only senior. I think ZZ is growing into a strong leader on the team. She's enjoying her role as the lone senior and I don't feel like she's putting that much pressure on herself from a leadership standpoint. We have a team full of leaders so that relieves some of the pressure from the coaching staff and someone like ZZ.

How does the turnover from having a strong senior base to having just one upperclassman affect the makeup of your team?

Teams change a lot from one year to the next. We had three seniors last season that really came into the program at a time when we were in the early stages of building the program that you see now. The core of this team are our sophomores Lenka (Broosova), Janka (Bielikova) and Zuzana Chmelarova ,who have learned so much from last season and lean on ZZ for guidance. I think they are doing a great job of helping the freshman adjust and staying positive when things get tough. It is really impressive to see how much they have grown in just one year.

Returning Zemenova and Broosova that have already made great names for themselves throughout the collegiate tennis ranks, what do you expect them to provide for this team?

They've proven a lot on the court and lead by example. What they are becoming even stronger at is leading off the court. They're beginning to be more vocal and help the younger players to make good decisions and buy in to the system that we have in place. They've already done an outstanding job this fall; compared to years past, the players have bought in to our system quicker and I really attribute that to the leadership ZZ and Lenka.

With just an eight-player roster entering the spring, are you worried about depth being an issue if something happens to one of the girls?

I think that's kind of a universal problem in college tennis specifically because you only have those eight scholarships and it doesn't take much to get down to just six scholarship players. We've been in that situation before and it ended up being our best season ever, back in 2006. It's not about the amount of players on your team but how many committed ones you have.

With the competition level being well-balanced throughout, what kind of competition do you think you will have at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots each week?

I think the competition is really fierce on this year's team. Everybody can count and they realize only six are going to play so they definitely need to bring their best game to practice every day. It's a good problem to have as a coach and we're going to embrace the iron sharpens iron philosophy. Whatever the line up ends up being in May, our players understand that everyone has an important role and they need to embrace it.

What kind of balance do you find between getting the girls actual playing time and keeping some consistency within your lineup?

We typically go on a rotation system throughout the year so that everyone is always sharp and ready to go. We definitely need to make sure Jelena (Stanivuk), who is coming in January, gets a lot of matches to get in the flow of things since she wasn't here during the fall season. Outside of that everyone is going to see a lot of action this spring.

You had a chance to see all of the girls compete during the fall; what did the fall season teach you about this team?

I was really pleased to see all the ladies compete so hard this fall. Especially, Lenka Broosova who took her game to another level and won two of the four tournaments she played. Also, Janka Bieliova had a terrific fall winning at Rice and making the finals of the Baylor Invite. For us to have five players regionally ranked in the top-10 and to have five players nationally ranked is a big deal. This is a real testament to our players' work ethic and our developmental training system.

What goals have you set for the season and what are the steps you take to get there?

My ultimate goal from day one has been to win a national championship and that has not changed. I believe without a doubt that our players have embraced this goal and it's become more of a reality than just a dream. I think this team has taken more ownership of the program than ever before. They understand that to get to the top of the mountain you have to be committed, make a lot of sacrifices, and everyone is responsible for leadership. I believe that this team has what it takes to make the breakthrough this year.

From the outside it's easy for a team that has repeatedly won national championships to say their goal is to win another national championship. How is that different for a program like yours that hasn't reached that level to know what it takes to get there?

That's the challenge. The first time you do something is really the most important time you do it because that sets the standard for the future. Georgia Tech won the championship last year and it was their first time and only their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance. So obviously it can be done by a non-traditional tennis powerhouse and there is no reason why it can't be us.

What is the key for this team surpassing last year's success?

I think last year we made the best of a very difficult year. We dealt with a lot of injuries early in the year and had a lot of young players playing in key positions throughout the whole year. That was a challenge, but I think it made us stronger and is setting us up for a very successful season this year.

Between singles and doubles, which is the greater strength for Baylor?

In the past we were definitely stronger in singles than in doubles but I plan on seeing us improve a lot in both areas this year. My hope is that we will make strides in all areas of the game and keep developing better overall tennis players. If your aim is to do that you'll see growth in both singles and doubles.

With half of your team consisting of freshman, talk a little about each addition to the program.

Taylor Ormond(Hamilton, Ontario): Taylor had a great fall and has developed about as quickly as I've ever seen a player develop. She's a super intelligent individual and has been able to get a grasp on our system and at the same time has really trusted us and bought in to it. She has a very bright future and I could see her playing No. 1 singles for us at one time or another this season and that wouldn't be a stretch at all. She's ready to play at the highest level of college tennis. She ended the fall season with a nice run and it wasn't just one weekend, it was a course of three months on many different surfaces in different conditions and against a lot of different styles of play. She's been able to adjust and adapt her game to all of these different elements and that's a sign of a great player.

Karolina Filipiak(Poznon, Poland): Karolina has done a great job of adjusting to the aggressiveness necessary to play high level tennis. I like that she's progressively improved and has been able to embrace our training philosophy. Anytime a freshman can finish nationally ranked after their first fall semester that is usually a good sign. I really like the way Karolina's game is coming along and her hungry to get to the next level.

Natalie Holmes(Corsicana, Texas): Natalie has been a pleasant surprise. She's improved a lot and had the furthest to come from. I can see her developing into a very good Division I tennis player. She's a hard worker and really hates to lose which I think is one of her best qualities. For her to come from being a pretty good high school player to playing on a team that has a chance to win a national title, that says a lot about her and the desire she has to improve.

Jelena Stanivuk(Tucepi, Croatia): I'm really excited about Jelena. I think she has the total package. She has the playing style and the mindset to really make a huge impact on this program. She's coming in January which sometimes can be a tough transition, but I think if any player can make the adjustment while being an impact player, she's the one that can do it. We really have high hopes for Jelena and once she gets settled in she's going to be outstanding. She has the ability to challenge our top players every day in practice and that can only help the overall development of the team.

Zemenova won the singles title as an un-seeded freshman and has been in the hunt, but has not been able to get back to the championship match. What does she need to do in order to return to the top and finish her collegiate career the same way she started it?

ZZ has been one of the most consistent performers in college tennis over the last three years. She won the National title in 2005, lost to Babos in the round of sixteen in 2006 (who ended up winning the title), and lost to Cohen in the semi-finals in 2007 (who also ending up winning the title). I believe ZZ is going to do what it takes this season to finish her college career on a high note and help the team reach new heights.

With a very tough schedule this season, how do you keep the team playing at such a high level with really no light matches?

My philosophy has always been to play the toughest schedule possible because there is no substitute for tough matches. However, we also really stress competition in our practice sessions and that's our focus, competing against one another and pushing each other to that next level. When you have a team with five nationally ranked players, including three in the top-25, playing against each other every day in practice might ultimately be the best preparation we can ask for.

How does getting into Big 12 Conference play change the focus of the team?

There is the dynamic of being the "Top Dog" in the conference and that is a role our team enjoys being in. Having experience in that role has helped us on the national level because you learn how to deal with expectations. If you want to be the top program in the nation you're going to have to deal with pressure and embrace it. We have a lot of respect for our Big 12 opponents and know that on any day if we don't show up with the right mindset that they can beat us. We really go into that season very focused and don't want to have any slip ups come March and April.

What do you see as the team's biggest obstacle this season?

I think for any athlete belief is a big obstacle. You have to believe in your God given talent, your preparation, and have faith that things are going to work out for you. If you focus on what is really important and don't let your mind play games with you it is amazing what you can do. I'm confident that belief won't be an issue for this group because they have such a good understanding of what it takes to win big matches.

Talk about home court advantage.

I can't express my appreciation enough to the Baylor fans that come out and support women's tennis. Our fans are awesome and they really make a difference. We haven't lost a match at home since March of 2005 and they deserve some credit for that. Playing at the Baylor Tennis Complex, in front of our fans is special and our players realize it. This year's home schedule is going to be a real treat for the Baylor community; we have many top ranked teams like Georgia, Northwestern, William and Mary, Fresno State and Wake Forest coming to play us. It is going to be an exciting season and we can't wait to kick things off at home vs. TCU on February 20.