The Journal

Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jamie Ford Freshman Kelsey O'Keefe returns a serve from team sophomore Laila Wessel at an early season practice March 19.

The Webster women's tennis team learned a tough lesson the hard way. It's not how you start the season, but how you finish.


After posting a 4-3 regular season record, the women's tennis team entered the 2006 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament with a chance at capturing the SLIAC championship. The SLIAC Championship is the determining factor for conference standings.


"I thought our (2006) regular season was pretty good," Head Coach Mike Siener said. "When it came down to the conference tournament, I don't think we played really well that last day and we ended up finishing fourth."


Regular season success aside, the fourth place finish in the SLIAC out of seven teams was disappointing. To add insult to injury, the team that took home the championship - Westminster University - was a team the Gorloks beat in the regular season.


Entering the 2007 season, the women's tennis team has set its sights on redemption after the disappointing performance in the conference tournament.


This year, the key ingredient for Webster will be the return of sophomores Raquel Rothermel and team captain Laila Wessel, who will occupy the No. 1 and 2 positions for the Gorloks. The dynamic duo dominated the SLIAC in their freshman campaigns.


Rothermel was named SLIAC's Newcomer of the Year in women's tennis. She also was named to SLIAC's All-Conference First Team in singles competition and the Academic All Conference Team. Wessel was named to SLIAC's All-Conference Second Team in singles. As partners, Rothermel and Wessel, both made SLIAC's All-Conference First Team in doubles competition.


Rothermel and Wessel represent the only returning players from last season's team, However, Wessel doesn't believe the team will be hurt by the roster turnover.


"We've got a lot of new faces," Wessel said. "But we got some pretty deep experience."


Joining the Gorloks is senior Ashley Heifner and freshmen Meagan Eakes, Kelsey O'Keefe and Pamela Proano. O'Keefe is slated to play the No. 3 singles position.


"I have to work hard, practice and never get down," O'Keefe said on what it will take for her to stay in the No. 3 spot.


Several teams stand in the way of the Gorloks' quest to be the SLIAC Conference Tournament Champion. Siener said the teams posing the biggest threat are Principia and Westminster. Since 1992, Principia has won the SLIAC Conference Tournament 12 times. Westminster is the reigning SLIAC Tournament champion and is the only other school to win the SLIAC Tournament. Westminster also won the tournament in 1992 and 1994.


The Gorloks kick off the regular season March 21 against Maryville University. However, the team will have to wait until April 20 for the opportunity to make a run for SLIAC Tournament championship.


"I expect us to be competitive with the top two or three teams in the league," Siener said. "If we play well, we have a good chance of winning the league. We're good enough."

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