The fall sports season is underway with many teams starting practice this week! The Pine City Dragons girl's tennis team will be looking to their returning starters to be leaders to give them success this season. They don't have much time before they get right into their first meets so the experience will be a huge bonus for them.
Read what head coach Kristin Unverzagt has to say about her team below:
What are you most excited for this year?
I am most excited to work with the girls and see them improve throughout the season. It is so fun to be with them on the court. They have great energy and are an amazing group of young women!
How is the roster shaping up? Do you have a lot of new players? Are you returning a lot of players? Younger? Older? Etc.
We have nine returning players with varsity experience. This will help the team and build on the strong finish that they had last season. Our seniors will provide many years of varsity experience to help our younger players become even stronger.
Who are a couple athletes that will stand out?
Lydia Adams had a solid showing at the state tournament last year and will continue to improve and create a challenge for her opponents.
Any upcoming milestones for your team?
We host our first home even at the Dragon Power Tournament on Monday, August 20th. Our conference play starts off with a road trip to face a tough Foley team on August 27.
What are your goals?
Our goal is to continue to improve each time we are on the court. We want the players to push themselves and each other. The players have their sights on the conference and section titles. With a team goal to improve something each time we are on the court, they will be a competitive team and have a lot of fun this season.
Favorite upcoming games, matches, or meets?
The team will kick off their conference play in Foley on August 27th. In the meantime, we will head to Park Rapids on Friday, August 17. We will host the Dragon Power Tournament on Monday, August 20 and a quad invitational with Princeton, Eveleth-Gilbert, and White Bear Lake on Friday, August 24. We will also head to Pierz on August 23 to play section teams of Pequot Lakes and Pierz. The busy start to our season gives the girls a lot of opportunities to play and set goals for the season.
Anything else you want people to know about your team?
After one day of practice it is clear that the girls want to work hard and have fun together. The chemistry between the girls and the smiles are the reason they are so successful!
Photo credit to Lancelot Furber
