Jan. 2, 2007

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The 2007 season for the Marshall Thundering Herd tennis team will look to be a continuation of greatness from years past. In 2006, Marshall missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in four seasons, giving the Herd a renewed hunger for success.

Marshall head coach John Mercer said he looks for the players to be the ingredients to the recipe for success.

Leading the Herd into the spring will be the strength of five returning players. Lynzee Kever, Jeanne Schwartz, Jessica Keener, Kellie Schmitt and Karolina Soor will bring experience to the relatively young squad.

"Jeanne (Schwartz) has a wealth of experience and she is aware of all the things that need to be done to win a championship," Mercer said. "She brings that veteran mentality and knows what it takes to be prepared on a daily basis and for a competitive spring season."

"Lynzee (Kever) is a player who has been ranked in the Top 60 nationally and we are expecting her to be a force at the top of our lineup again."

Six of Marshall's eight team members are either freshmen or sophomores. The talented sophomore class is anchored by Schmitt, Soor and Keener while the newcomers consist of Thaddea Lock, Yulia Kashelkina and Anna Volkova.

"It's a very young team but a very talented one that I think as the year goes on will get strong and stronger," he said.

Mercer added that with one year already under its belt, the sophomore class' experience against ranked players will give the Herd an added threat in the lineup.

"Jessica (Keener) is someone who really learned during her freshman year what it takes against ranked opponents and she proved she could win in the lineup against those types of teams and players. We are looking for her to improve upon her good fall season and take it into the spring."

"Karolina (Soor) is coming off a great fall season and we are looking for her to get some wins against some higher ranked opponents."

Marshall's freshman class will come into the spring season with a lot of tournament experience but none at the collegiate level. Mercer said this could be one of the best freshman classes the Herd has ever put together.

"Thaddea (Lock) is coming in with a WTA ranking and success playing pro-level tournaments and we are expecting her to add consistency and poise to help us win."

"Yulia (Kashelkina) is a really talented player who had a Top 20 ranking in juniors in Russia. If she can improve like she did in the fall, she will be a successful player for us."

"Anna (Volkova) has had some time off being out a year but we are expecting her to pick up as she practices and continues her good work ethic."

Poised to be the top player for the Herd in 2007 will be Kellie Schmitt after coming off a remarkable freshman season and outstanding fall campaign. Her credentials include a No. 3 ITA East Region ranking, which is the highest ever by any Marshall singles player, Conference USA Freshman of the Year and back-to-back C-USA Athlete of the Month awards for September and October.

"We are expecting Kellie (Schmitt) to play at the top of the lineup due to her results from last season and the fall,"Mercer said. "We are looking for her to continue to improve and compete and have success against some of the best teams and players in the country like she has proven she can do."

In doubles, the Herd's combo of Kever and Schmitt will look to once again make the NCAA Championships. The tandem was ranked No. 3 in the East Region's rankings to begin the 2007 season.

"We hope they will be able to qualify for the tournament again. They've had some high quality wins and hopefully we can see them advance."

Over the course of the fall season Schmitt has defeated eight nationally ranked singles players and two regionally-ranked. Her fall record of 17-5 included victories at the ITA East Regional, ITA All-American and Wake Forest Fall Invite championship.

The Herd consistently schedules some of the toughest opponents each season and 2007 is no different. During the first half of the season Marshall will be tested early and often, facing geographic rivals Kentucky, West Virginia and Ohio State along with ITA East Region foes Virginia, William & Mary, Penn and Virginia Commonwealth.

"We are really looking forward to playing teams that are top 20 national teams. Having an opportunity to play those teams and showing we can do more than just compete with those teams helps establish our program. We look forward to playing those teams."

Coming into the final half of the season, the Herd will be battle tested as it plays seven of its final 12 opponents on the road. The stretch begins with a trip to South Carolina on Feb. 28 followed by a two-match homestand against Penn State and Middle Tennessee. The Herd's toughest stretch will then be five straight matches away from Huntington against top caliber teams Virginia Commonwealth, Richmond, San Diego, Yale and Virginia Tech.

"You look at these as opportunities to try and give our players a chance to earn national rankings and qualify for the NCAA tournament," Mercer said. "The same goes for the team. We are looking for the entire team to have good rankings and these are the teams that you have to play."

After the April 7 match with Pittsburgh, the Herd will have faced 11 regionally-ranked singles opponents and six ranked doubles teams.

"It's a tough schedule but it's a positive to play that type of schedule. We look forward to picking up our share of wins," Mercer said.