2001 Furman Lady Paladin Outlook

Furman has won the Southern Conference regular season title the last two years, and has three-peated as SoCon Tournament Champions. It might appear that the Lady Paladins would be tempted to rest on their laurels, but instead, now that the team has two trips to the NCAAs under their collective belts, the team is working hard toward the goal of advancing in the NCAA Tournament.

Furman's charge toward the postseason will be keyed by two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year Megan Dunigan (Oak Ridge, Tenn.). An outstanding prep player, Dunigan has continued her winning ways on the collegiate level and received invitations to both the ITA Regional and the All-American during the fall of 2000.

Senior Meredith Moore (Lewisville, N.C.) has also fashioned a fine career as a Lady Paladin, and is the only member of the team to have an NCAA Tournament victory. As a sophomore, Moore topped Celine Regnier 7-5, 6-1 in the NCAA Tournament's first round, and teamed with Dunigan during the fall of 2000 to win the University of Tennessee Classic's flight one doubles championship.

Juniors Gene Holman (Shelby, N.C.) and Emelie Isaksson (Tingholmsholm) also bring solid credentials to Furman's top six. Holman has a .714 winning percentage as a singles player in collegiate dual matches, while Isaksson, who refuses to beat herself in a match, has a similar .717 mark on the singles court.

The strength of Furman's junior and senior classes alone would make the Lady Paladins a favorite to win a fourth consecutive Southern Conference Tournament, but Furman has the added benefit of two experienced sophomores and a talented freshman class.

Natalie The (Lake Worth, Fla.) posted a 16-6 mark in singles action last year and won 11 of her last 13 matches to finish strong going into the offseason. Fellow sophomore Krista Thomson (Orchard Park, N.Y.) was an all-conference selection at number three doubles, and gained valuable experience when she joined the singles lineup for Furman's NCAA Tournament match against eventual champion Georgia.

The 2001 Furman squad is further strengthened by three Lady Paladin freshmen: Shellie Cochran (Dublin, Ga.), McCall Holman (Shelby, N.C.), and Lauren Welch (Atlanta, Ga.).

Cochran was a three-time Middle Georgia Player of the Year and helped lead Dublin High to the State semifinals on three occasions.

Holman won the 2A state singles championship three times and was the 3A doubles winner as a freshman, while Welch helped Marist High School to four state titles and was the team captain and winner of the Lisa Waring Coach's Award.

With six experienced players returning and three freshmen eagerly awaiting the chance to prove themselves, competition for the top six singles slots will be fierce, but that same competition will mold each of these outstanding players into even better competitors. It is possible that Southern's greatest challenges this season will be deciding who will complete Furman's lineup, which doubles teams produce the best, most winning chemistry, and how to make sure everyone gets the necessary experience.

As in the past, Southern has lined up a tough schedule to test this team's mettle. Furman will face South Carolina, Clemson, Middle Tennessee State, Arizona, and Arizona State all before the first Southern Conference match. Later, in addition to the league slate, the Lady Paladins will play TCU, Georgia Tech, and Western Michigan, so each player will test her skills against top competition throughout the season.