2016 Women’s Season Preview: #29 Lewis & Clark Pioneers

LEWIS & CLARK PIONEERS

 

Twitter Handle: @lclarktennis

Coach: Patrick Dreves

 

Fall 2014 Ranking: #NR

Spring 2015 Ranking: #29

Fall 2015 Ranking: #29

 

Player Ranking (National/Regional):

Summer Garrison: #7/2

Aurora Garrison: #47/12

Christine Eliazo/Claudia Lew: #14/3

Garrison/Garrison: #23/6

Kacey Incerpi/Vika O’Brien: NR/9

Down to the home stretch!! This is my final Nationally ranked squad preview.

 

Here we have the #29 Pioneers of Lewis & Clark…if I could give a Newcomer of the Year award for a team, it is definitely to the Pios…(also, best team Twitter account)….Nevertheless, I really like this team and its potential. I think we will see some HUGE things from this team in years to come and I am very excited for what is to come.

 

Looking at last year, we cannot really go on much, as the Pios only faced a handful of nationally ranked teams, only losing to Whitman 5-4 (twice). I think that the L&C coaching staff is much more daring this year and I am digging it.

 

 

Schedule Analysis:

 

FEBRUARY

 

1. Trinity (Tex.) @ Walla Walla, WA

Sat, Feb. 13     vs. Redlands @ Walla Walla, WA                            

Fri, Feb. 19      Whitman *                             

Sat, Feb. 20     Whitworth *                          

Sat, Feb. 27     at Pacific Lutheran *                          

Sun, Feb. 28    at Puget Sound *

 

MARCH

                                   

Sat, Mar. 5      Willamette *                         

Sat, Mar. 12    George Fox *                         

Sun, Mar. 13   at Pacific (Ore.) *                              

 Mon, Mar. 21    vs. Tufts @ Burbank, Calif.                        

Wed, Mar. 23  at Chapman                           

Fri, Mar. 25     at La Verne                            

Sat, Mar. 26    at Pomona-Pitzer       

 

APRIL

                       

Sat, Apr. 2       at Whitman *                        

Sun, Apr. 3      at Whitworth *                                  

Sat, Apr. 9       Puget Sound *                        

Sun, Apr. 10    Pacific Lutheran *                              

Sat, Apr. 16     Linfield *                                

Sat, Apr. 23     vs. NWC Championship

Sun, Apr. 24    vs. NWC Championship

 

I like this schedule for the Pios, I think it creates a decent amount of challenge for the players, exactly what an emerging program really needs. Right out of the gate, L&C meets #33 Trin-TX and #18 Redlands, two very formidable opponents. I mentioned that Whitman Invite in earlier previews but I think that these matches will be a great preview for the 18-22 range of D3 women’s tennis for the year. Trin-TX and L&C will have a great battle. Personally, this one definitely comes down to dubs, I think that if Trin keeps Southwick/Lutz together, they will take #1, with L&C getting the other two spots, but this is the area that is up for grabs. Summertime will take her singles spot and I think the Pios will win 4-6 Singles for the 6-3 victory. #18 Redlands will be a tricky opponent for the Pios. Dubs teams for L&C are scrappy, but not as reliable as I would like. I think Redlands plays smart dubs, especially in the top positions. I think Redlands sweeps dubs and then takes this match, something like 7-2 or 6-3. Moving on, bookmark Feb. 19^th as a great day to be in the NWC as Whitman and L&C do battle for the first time in 2016. Unlike recent years, I do not think this match will be THAT close. I think Whitman has weakened in all the wrong places and given that, the Pios take a 6-3 win, losses in the middle of the singles lineup and probably a dubs spot, like #3. After the Whitman match, the Pios will ease through the month of February and the beginning of March with routine NWC victories.

 

The Cali stretch of March will be really telling for the Pios. I do not think that they will beat Pomona and they will take down La Verne with relative ease. I really want to focus on Tufts and Chapman here. I think the Tufts match will be a real good one. Tufts comes in with a lot of question marks and young talent. It kinda depends on which Tufts shows up on this day, as they are accustomed to doing. If the top 15 Tufts squad we know comes out, this will be like 8-1 or 7-2. If streaky, overdramatic Tufts comes out, this is gonna be tight, with all the hooks and daggers you can imagine. I’m calling this one close, looking for 5-4 Tufts here, wins at 4-6 S and 2 & 3 dubs, definitely a breaker in 2 dubs match. Looking at Chapman, I think this match won’t be as close as Tufts but still a battle as it will be the rebound from the match with the Jumbos. I think it will be a streaky 6-3 win for the Pios, a three setter here and there for good measure.

 

April will see the Pios back up in the PNW for all NWC showdowns. The month will be led off with another great Pio-Missionary battle and the result will stay the same as February, Pios on top 6-3, maybe 5-4 if some mischief occurs. The Pios will breeze into the NWC tournament final without much fuss, before taking the conference title over Whitman, 5-4. NCAAs will be a great experience for the young Pios squad, I think they can get an opening round win if they draw is friendly!

 

 

Lineup Analysis:

 

Back to the ever handy UTR again! Universaltennis.com

 

Power 6 Team Rating: 43

 

#1 Singles – Summer Garrison (8.02):  After a breakout 2015, Summertime looks to improve on a NCAA Quarters result. She has the game to do it and proved that by winning another ITA title. Currently ranked #7 nationally, she has the game and fighting mentality to go even higher, look for big things from her this year.

 

#2 Singles – Aurora Garrison (7.16): Not to be outshined by her sister, Aurora played a decent ITAs in the fall and hopes to continue her run on the second court in her final year. She played 2015 well, but had up and downs with a few unexpected losses to Pacific and Occidental.

 

#3 Singles – Wiktoria Plawska (7.30): Besides having amazing travel adventures, Plawska was solid last season and looks to return from abroad on a mission.

 

#4 Singles – Kacey Incerpi (6.23): Incerpi had a decent year in 2015. She went nearly undefeated on the D3 year until the NWC finals, where she lost the deciding match. I think that she will rebound from that loss with a positive result and continue to impress.

 

#5 Singles – Christine Eliazo (7.10): Sooooooo fun fact. Eliazo went undetected at #5 last year and went undefeated…….Ok so maybe the competition wasn’t UAA or NESCAC quality but still, there’s something to say about that. Look for her to get some tests with Pomona, Redlands and Tufts this year

 

#6 Singles – Claudia Lew (6.66): Lew is more known for her dubs expertise, but she had a sneaky solid year at 6 last time around, I think she will do even better in the same spot this year.

 

 

#1 Doubles – #2 Doubles

Garrison squared OR Eliazo/Lew: Eliazo and Lew are ITA champs and technically defeated the sisters (though via retirement). I think that either team can take #1 and the Pios will have a much more solid lineup than prior years.

 

 

#3 Doubles –  Legit toss up.

 

West’s Wonderful Words of Wisdom

 

#1: Dubs: Am I a broken record here? I feel like this is all that I talk about….but it is true. #3 dubs will be a weaker spot for the Pios and while both the #1 and #2 teams made the ITA Regional final, that doesn’t tell me much.

 

#2: Started from the bottom now we………..here? The bottom of the singles lineup is still a little unsettling for me. I have not seen too many players from 4-6 make a good run, could potentially place unnecessary pressure on the top of the L&C lineup.

 

#3:  Top 20 is possible…for sure, I think that if L&C wins all their matches this season (the ones predicted at least), they can finish Top 20, NWC Conference Champ and maybe even with a victory in the NCAA Team first round.

 

I am DONE with my official previews for this season!! My last one will be a special one for Caltech. Stay tuned!!

 

 

Wishing you Aces and Winners,

 

D3WW