Sept. 9, 1999
After suffering through a disappointing season in 1996 in which the Kentucky women’s tennis team finished 7-15 and were dismissed in the opening round of the SEC Tournament, UK brought in a new head coach, Mark Guilbeau, to start the 1997 campaign. Guilbeau inherited a 56th-ranked squad with three upperclassmen and four sophomores. In the 1997 UK Tennis Media Guide, Guilbeau stated, “I’m not going to place too many expectations on this season. We certainly have some work to do…”
The season turned out better than expected, with the Cats finishing a respectable 12-13. The young UK squad even scored consecutive wins over No. 25 Arkansas, No. 24 Indiana and No. 17 Notre Dame. In the SEC tournament, the Wildcats advanced to the second round, ousting 18th-ranked Alabama 5-4 in the opening round. The team’s success did not go unnoticed and UK was invited to the NCAA Regional tournament.
In 1998, the Cats continued their assault on the collegiate tennis scene, finishing 15-9 and making the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament. UK’s post-season play continued into the NCAA Regional tournament, where the Cats advanced to the second round. Massoumeh Emami and Kelly Brown, UK’s All-SEC doubles duo, qualified for the NCAA Tournament’s main doubles draw. The Cats finished the year ranked 24th, and in the 1998 ITA fall rankings, the Cats moved up another spot to No. 23.
The 1999 season was another successful run, as UK scored upsets of No. 14 Arkansas and regional champion Tennessee. Massoumeh Emami came within one win of All-America honors, and the UK duo of Emami and Kelly Brown made the NCAA Doubles Tournament. The Cats moved as high as No. 18 in the ITA poll before finishing the season at No. 22.
“That’s a 34-spot jump,” Guilbeau said. “That may be the biggest jump of any team in the top 75 in the last three years. That’s a real credit to our program.”
This season, Guilbeau faces a Y2K problem of his own. With the graduation of Emami, Brown and Christy Sigurski, the Cats lose their top three singles players and top two doubles tandems, but Guilbeau is excited about his young tennis “kittens” in 2000.
“I think our youth is going to help us in a lot of ways. The student-athletes we’ve recruited are very talented and committed to what UK Tennis is all about,”Guilbeau said. “It should be a very exciting year.”
Helping Guilbeau mold his young team will be new assistant coach John Ware. Ware comes to Kentucky after spending seven years as the tennis pro at Jennings Mill Country Club in Athens, Ga., where he worked with several of the nation’s top junior players.
“John has a great knowledge and understanding of tennis,” Guilbeau said. “His assistance in teaching and coaching will be extremely valuable to our program.”
With no top-100 singles players or top-50 doubles duos, UK features a balanced line-up in the upcoming season.
“We have eight players at about the same level, which will really help our practices and intra-team matches. I think it will make each player work even harder.”
Anchoring the 2000 tennis Cats will be junior Brooke Skeen. Skeen is the lone upperclassman on UK’s roster, which features three sophomores and four freshmen. In addition to her on-court results, Skeen will be looked to to provide leadership to the other tennis “kittens.”
“Brooke is a real fighter on the court for us,” Guilbeau said. “She is great under pressure and, hopefully, that will rub off on the rest of the team.”
Only two other Cats have any substantial college tennis experience, Carolina Mayorga and Shannon Stafford. Mayorga and Stafford played at Nos. 4 and 6, respectively, in 1999, and will be expected to move up the Cat line-up in 2000.
“Carolina is extremely talented. She has all the shots necessary to compete at the highest level,” Guilbeau said. “And Shannon is one of the most dedicated players I have ever coached. She is a great role model for our freshmen. If she can continue to grow as a player like she did last year, her future is unlimited.”
Lauren Rookledge, the Cats’ other sophomore, has improved dramatically since her arrival in January and will also figure in UK’s game plan.
“Lauren’s game has gone through the roof. Her committment and effort since arriving here in January 1999 have been at the highest level. Having a player work that hard while having a fun, positive attitude is a big plus for our program.”
UK’s freshman class could be dubbed the “Fab Four.” Leigh Bradwell, Jill Buckley, Amy Trefethen and Sarah Witten were all highly touted recruits, and will be expected to make immediate contributions to the team.
“If someone had told me a year and a half ago that we could bring in four players at this level I would not have believed them,” Guilbeau said. “I could not have asked for a better group.”
This season, the new faces of Kentucky tennis should provide a season of excitement. In the past three years, Kentucky has gained national prominence and the Wildcats are considered a team on the rise. With Guilbeau’s guidance, this young group hopes to keep UK tennis climbing toward the top.
