The Future Begins Now

Head coach Mark Beyers is eager to talk about the 2009 season these days, and he has plenty of reasons to be excited. Now in his eighth year at Ole Miss, he has assembled a young and talented team that looks to take it to the next level, beginning now.

The Rebels boast four players back from the 2008 lineup and a team that posted several top 25 wins to end the season. Add to that the nation's No. 12 recruiting class, and the formula for success this season is in place.

"With a great blend of experience and talented newcomers, we are excited about the possibilities for this season," head coach Mark Beyers said. "We want to get back to postseason play."

Headlining the list of returnees is sophomore All-SEC Karen Nijssen, who had an outstanding debut as a freshman last year. She went 6-5 in the SEC in singles and 8-3 in doubles. Nijssen reached the second round in doubles at the NCAAs and earned a final national ranking of No. 32. While she enjoyed the experience, she left wanting more.

"We (team) want to make the NCAAs," Nijssen said. "We ended on a good note last season, and hopefully we can carry that over to this season. It was fun to go with just the two of us, but it will be more fun to go with the entire team. That's my biggest goal."

"Karen had a very good freshman year, in which she had a winning record in the SEC playing No. 1 and 2 singles," Beyers said. "In addition she made the round of 16 at the NCAAs in doubles with Nika Koukhartchouk. We will continue to rely heavily on Karen's success. She possesses a great backhand and very powerful serve."

The Rebels will also rely plenty on the leadership of lone senior Mimi Renaudin who is back for a sixth year. The Mandeville, La., native, who has battled numerous injuries during her career, received a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA.

"Mimi gives us a tremendous amount of experience, in addition to a superb work ethic," Beyers said. "The younger players on the team can really learn from her when it comes to giving it your absolute best every single day. Mimi has great speed and a never say die attitude."

The only other upperclassmen returning from 2008 is junior Soledad Podlipnik, who now has two years of experience playing against the best in the nation. She has showed flashes in the past, most notably when she came back from a set down at No. 5 singles to clinch a 4-3 win for Ole Miss against then No. 14 Arkansas in Fayetteville last year.

"Sole has recovered from a shoulder injury and is back at 100 percent now," Beyers said. "When she is healthy, Sole has given us very solid performances. She has a great ability to move the ball around, and work her opponent side to side."

Sophomore Laura van de Stroet gained plenty of experience as a freshman playing in every match at No. 2 doubles and No. 3 singles. She won both her doubles and singles matches against Kentucky to help the Rebels take down the No. 22 ranked Wildcats on Senior Day last year. This year the coaches are hoping for more consistent results.

"Laura is a very talented player with a punishing forehand," Beyers said. "We are looking for Laura to give us a dominant presence in the middle of the lineup. She had some great results last year, but was a little inconsistent. We feel that with a year of experience under her belt, Laura will be a very tough out."

Beyers has assembled a highly touted freshmen class that is expected to make an immediate impact. Topping the list of newcomers is Mississippi native Kristi Boxx, who began the spring ranked No. 51 in singles and No. 21 in doubles with Nijssen, after an excellent fall. Boxx went 12-2 in the fall in singles including advancing to the finals of qualifying at the Riviera All-American Championships.

The coaches are thrilled to have not only one of the top players in the nation, but one from 45 minutes down the road in Grenada.
Boxx, who trained at the John Newcombe Tennis Academy in Texas, was ranked No. 1 in the South in 18s and top 25 in the nation as a senior.

"Kristi had a great junior career, and has already made a splash on the college scene with her play in the fall," Beyers said. "She has quickly established herself as one of the best ball strikers in college tennis today. She possesses great court awareness and has a big time forehand."

Another talented player from Hendersonville, Tenn., is Gabriela Rangel who the coaches expect to be a tremendous contributor to the team this year and beyond. She posted a 7-4 record last fall, including winning the Ole Miss Fall Classic "B" Singles title.

During her junior career, Rangel achieved a high ranking of No. 2 in Brazil and No. 31 in the United States.

"Gabby is a tremendously talented player with an awesome backhand," Beyers said. "She has worked very hard in the fall to make the jump from junior tennis to collegiate tennis. She has improved her quickness and overall fitness level, which will help her become a big time contributor for us this year."

An experienced player who transferred from North Alabama, sophomore Pippa Reakes (Bath, England) joined the team last fall, but did not play due to injury. As the No. 1 player at North Alabama, Reakes finished the 2008 season ranked No. 22 in the nation in Division II singles, while helping the Lions advance to the NCAA South Regional Tournament for the 10th year in a row. She was named the ITA Rookie of the Year for the South Region in addition to earning All-Gulf South Conference first team and Gulf South East Division Co-Freshman of the Year honors.

"Pip is a very experienced player who came here with solid junior credentials," Beyers said. "She recovered from elbow surgery this past fall, and when 100 percent healthy, will be a huge part of the team's success. She possesses a big time backhand and a great work ethic."

The Rebels added their first ever player from New Zealand, when freshman Abigail Guthrie joined the team in January. Guthrie won three ITF tournaments in doubles in 2008 and won the New Zealand U-16 Hardcourt National Championship. She also represented New Zealand on the Junior Fed Cup Team.

"Abby just came on board, but has already established herself as a very talented player," Beyers said. "She has a very powerful serve and big forehand. Her excellent athletic ability is going to help her become a top notch college player."

Junior Connor Vogel brings a vast of amount of experience with her after transferring from Tennessee. The Germantown, Tenn., native will have to sit out this year, but having helped lead Tennessee to consecutive NCAA appearances in 2007 and 2008, Vogel will provide great help to the younger players.

"Even though Connor has to sit out a year, the fact that she has two years of SEC experience will help the rest of the players tremendously," Beyers said. "She is a very talented lefty with a powerful forehand and great quickness."

Another challenging schedule awaits the Rebels in 2009. In addition to the always tough SEC slate, the team will participate in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend with their first round opponent being No. 6 Georgia. The other two teams in the four-team regional are Marshall and Florida International.

Other non-conference matches include regional rival South Alabama, Troy (Feb. 6), Iowa (Feb. 15) and Memphis (Feb. 26). The Rebels will head to San Diego, Calif., for spring break to participate in the Barnes Tennis Center Invitational.

Home SEC matches include Western Division foes Alabama, Auburn (March 13/15), Florida (March 27), LSU, Arkansas (April 10/12) and Mississippi State (April 18). Away matches in the league include Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky and Vanderbilt. The SEC Championships will be played in Fayetteville, Ark.

With a mix of proven veterans and talented newcomers, the Rebels are looking forward to extending their season into the month of May.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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