Head coach Simon Thibodeau’s squad will host 12 home matches

Matt Weir/Collegian File Photo

The start of the 2011 season brings new life to the women’s tennis team. The Bulldogs do have youth on their side with six underclassmen on the seven-women team.

Coming off a tournament in Berkeley, the ‘Dogs will start the season at home.

“It was nice for me to evaluate where all the players are injury-wise as well as what kind of lineups we can do for singles and doubles,” head coach Simon Thibodeau said.

The team has been working toward seeing which team members mesh the best with each other. By continually working on their team dynamic, the Bulldogs will try to improve in this area.

“We have been working a lot of doubles, testing out different partners,” freshman Abby Hayley said.

The team has matured since last year and the consistent growth of the team will begin to shine once the season gets underway.

“We have all been trying to stay positive, motivated and have intense practices every day,” sophomore Bianca Modoc said.

Hayley believes that all the offseason workouts will pay dividends as the season wears on.

“We have a hard schedule and we have our work cut out for us,” Hayley said. “But it all starts with practice and if we practice hard now it will pay off during the season.”

Currently there are not any serious injuries on the team. Being a squad of only seven, keeping everyone as healthy and fresh as possible is a necessity.

“For the most part, we’re healthy we have a couple people struggling with injuries, but overall the trainers are really helping out,” Hayley said.

“We try to do more quality, less quantity and really be sharp at each practice,” Thibodeau said.

The Bulldogs will have a difficult schedule to begin the year. Saint Mary’s is currently ranked 40th while Arizona has begun the season with a 2-0 record. The team is not looking too far ahead in the schedule, taking a match-by-match approach to the season.

The team has consistently been improving and working hard. Fresno State’s young team does have advantages over other teams.

The fact that the team is young means that they are able to still improve their developing skills. With the amount of time that the team has put in during practice, it should show on the court when the season gets underway.

Having an early home schedule can also help gain fan support at an early stage in the season. Having the support of the fans is a major advantage in any sport, and if the Bulldogs are able to capitalize on their early home schedule, it would have a big impact throughout the rest of the year.

The team will kickoff with a five-game home stand against Saint Mary’s on Thursday. The four remaining games consist of Arizona on Friday, Nevada on Sunday and a double-header against Sacramento and Pacific on Saturday, Feb. 19. After the home stand, nine of the next 12 games are on the road.