HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker College women's tennis team is set to begin its second season in the South Atlantic Conference and first-year head coach Bill Simpson has set the bar high for this 2015 squad.

"My goal as a coach is to go out and win conference, I don't shoot for anything less," said Simpson. "After talking to the ladies, it is definitely their goal as well and I think there is a strong possibility of us achieving that goal."

This year's team is mixer of veteran leadership and a strong freshmen class. Returners include captains junior Jessi Campos and sophomore Sarah Elliot. Junior transfers Bailey and Ragan Palmer bring a wealth of college experience to a roster that has no seniors.

"I expect Sarah and Jessi to really step up as captains and lead this team to a successful season," said Simpson. "Ragan and Bailey will play a key role as well; they will be a strong doubles team and will help the freshmen grow."

Five freshmen round out the roster and many of them will be expected to make an immediate contribution to allow this team to compete at a high level. Those five are Jenna Gainey, Sarah Hatcher, Melissa Mahon, Jennifer Mezei and Suzanna Mickey.

"I think Mezei will have an immediate impact, she has the game and the talent to play high in the lineup," said Simpson. "But as a whole we need all the freshmen to really step up, their growth and ability to play quality tennis right away can make the difference."

With no seniors and five freshmen on the roster, experience could definitely be a weakness however; Simpson was quick to praise how much they have improved since his arrival.

"As a whole the ladies ball striking has improved drastically, their movement is really impressive," Simpson added. "I have just been trying to get the women ready for a faster paced game, so we have picked up the pace at practice every day."

Simpson and the ladies know that experience is not going to appear overnight for this youthful roster, as a whole they are just taking the maturation process as a day-by-day journey that will hopefully lead to an excellent result at seasons end.

"This is the strongest roster that I have coached or been around in my tennis career," said Simpson. "We are so deep at every spot and the constant competition within the team will only make this group of players better. They just have to stay focused and keep improving on every ball, every set, every practice or match."

The women's tennis team, picked tenth in the SAC preseason women's tennis rankings, will kick off their season on Sunday (Feb. 1) as they travel to Lander University to take on the Bearcats. First serve is set for 1 p.m.

Story by Aaron Beebe '15 sports information department intern