STATESBORO - Continuity has been a big theme for Georgia Southern head women's tennis coach Sean McCaffrey since taking over the helm of the program six years ago.
And one cannot argue with the success that McCaffrey and the Eagles have achieved in that time. Six straight winning seasons, two berths in the Sun Belt Tournament championship match and a tournament title and NCAA berth in 2021. The 87 matches won over the six-year period match the best six-year stretch in program history - and that includes losing half of the 2020 season to COVID-19.
So for the upcoming 2024 Spring campaign, Coach McCaffrey and the Eagles are excited to see how they will succeed both on and off the court and continue to build what has become one of the strongest mid-major programs in the country.
Georgia Southern returns everyone from last season's squad that went 19-6, tying the school record for wins in a season it set in 2021 - eight student-athletes and graduate student Liv Ryan, who will go from a player to an assistant coach this season. And the eight returning student-athletes have put in a combined 20 seasons of collegiate tennis going into this Spring.
"Since this team has been together for the last year and a half - and a few of the women for the last four years - I think that continuity is going to be the thing that supplies us with momentum this season," Coach McCaffrey said. "There's a maturity to the team, even with the sophomores, and that brings a level of comfort as well. When we get into competition, there's not much that will be unfamiliar. They know what to expect, and will be able to better handle pressure situations."
Graduate student Paula Hijos (Jaca, Spain) leads a stellar senior class into 2024 as she has compiled 46 dual match singles wins in her career, playing every spot in the lineup. She's joined by seniors Sonja Keranen (Helsinki, Finland) and Sophie Wagemaker (Zuid-Scharoude, The Netherlands), who are each in their fourth years with the Eagles, as well as seniors Silvia Martinez (Barcelona, Spain) and Lindsay Tulenko (Bogart, Ga.). Martinez is a two-time All-Sun Belt singles honoree in her third season with the Eagles, while Tulenko is in her second season at Georgia Southern after transferring from South Carolina.
"I think everyone looks to Pauli and Sonja as the two women who help guide the team," Coach McCaffrey said about his senior leadership. "And at times you can throw Silvia and Lindsay in there as well. But we don't have just one person who can wear all of the hats a leader has to wear. A lot of our women share in the leadership roles. There's a lot of trust and faith with each other, and that's great."
The Eagles had a very talented freshman class last year and all three return for their sophomore seasons - Nanaka Kijima (Chiba, Japan), Ninon Martinache (Dunkirk, France) and Anna Tsitavets (Minsk, Belarus) combined to win 44 singles matches in the Spring last year. Georgia Southern will also add in freshman Mackenzie Leopold (Watkinsville, Ga.), who was an All-State honoree at North Oconee HS and the Athens Area Player of the Year in 2021.
Georgia Southern's schedule is another challenging one as the Eagles will play six of its first eight matches on the road, including dates at Clemson (Feb. 10) and with NCAA participant North Florida (Jan. 26). The Eagles open up their home campaign on Friday, February 2 against Kennesaw State and will have 11 home matches this season at the Wallis Tennis Center.
"This year's schedule is a challenge, but I'm glad it shaped up the way it did," Coach McCaffrey said. "Each year is a little different. Last year was a tough schedule, yet we managed to find a way to go 19-6. I haven't thought ahead to what our record could be this season, but I'm more interested in finding out whether or not we're going to be prepared for Sun Belt Conference play."
The goal for Coach McCaffrey and the Eagles is the same every year that it's been since he got to Statesboro - be playing on the final day of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, which this year takes place in Rome, Ga., on April 24-28.
"I believe we have that team," Coach McCaffrey said. "I believe we had that team last year as well, even though we lost in the semifinals. I think it just came down to seeding. But nothing has changed in our expectations. If we can keep ourselves healthy and embrace the challenges that the season will bring to us, I have a feeling we are gearing up to have a real successful season."
Two exciting initiatives will also be happening surrounding the Eagle program in 2024 as well. First, all home matches will be live streamed via Track Tennis, and second, the Eagles will be hosting an Alumni and Senior Weekend on April 5-7. Former student-athletes and coaches will be coming back to Statesboro for a dinner, a court naming ceremony before the match on April 5 against Arkansas State and Senior Day on April 7 against ULM.
