Jan. 18, 2007

Columbia, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's tennis team is quickly approaching its first spring match at Saint Louis University on Jan. 27. MUTigers.com will take a look back at the fall season, which included the addition of three promising players, the emergence of two solid doubles teams, MU's two active seniors gaining valuable experience playing top opponents in fall tournaments and two juniors poised to strengthen the Mizzou lineup.

NOTE: This is the first of four articles on the Mizzou women's tennis team. The next three articles will feature the Tiger seniors, the two MU juniors and a look at the spring schedule.

The Tigers welcomed three solid newcomers to the 2006-07 team, including sophomore transfer Raquel Wagner (St. Louis, Mo./Texas A&M) and two freshmen with the same name (different spellings) Katelyn McKenzie (Dallas, Texas/Highland Park H.S.) and Kaitlin Dunham (Kansas City, Mo./St. Teresa's Academy).

Wagner, a St. Louis native who attended TNT Tennis Academy in Texas before playing one year at Texas A&M, returns to her home state to help the Tigers do battle in the always nationally competitive Big 12 Conference. The former Aggie has gained a great deal of experience at the collegiate level before making her spring debut for the Tigers. At A&M last season, Wagner went 7-6 in singles play and 2-5 in doubles action. At Mizzou in the fall, she defeated Iowa's Kelcie Klockenga to win the Minnesota singles title at the Gopher Invitational in Minneapolis. She finished the fall tied for second on the team with nine wins. Wagner tied fellow newcomer McKenzie in total wins and joined McKenzie to create one of Mizzou's top doubles tandems this fall. The duo went 9-8, including a solid 3-1 showing at the Mizzou Mock Duals.

McKenzie finished the fall tied with nine victories (9-6). The nine wins came during a stretch of 11 matches, including an impressive Mizzou Mock Duals in which she went 3-0. The Dallas, Texas, native has enjoyed valuable tennis experience throughout her prep career. She was a member of the Highland Park High School Scots who won the Texas High School Championship her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. In 2006, when doubles partner, Wagner, was gaining experience at A&M, McKenzie was gaining experience herself, winning the Texas Mixed Doubles Championship. Oh, and in girls doubles, you ask? She won the Texas Girls Doubles Championship as a junior and finished second as a sophomore. McKenzie and Wagner sharpened their skills, albeit separately, in Texas, and now join together at Mizzou to begin an exciting singles and doubles future.

Kaitlin Dunham, one of two Kansas City natives (Chrissy Svetlic) and one of four former Missouri Valley standouts (Wagner, Svetlic and Amanda Pratzel) on this season's roster, looks to give the Tigers added depth in their lineup. In the fall, Dunham joined Svetlic for ten doubles matches, going 4-6. In singles play, Dunham finished above .500 in the fall at 4-3. In high school, her sophomore season was perhaps one of the best ever by a Missouri State High School player. She won the state championship and went undefeated in the process, only the second player in Missouri High School History to finish a season undefeated. She finished fourth her junior year was injured most of her senior campaign.

The three newcomers bring solid experience to the Tigers. McKenzie and Wagner will look to provide improved depth to Mizzou's doubles lineup while Dunham is prepared to help the Tigers in a multitude of areas.

The Tigers begin their season Jan. 27 in St. Louis when they match up against the Saint Louis Billikens, a team they faced several times throughout the fall. The home opener at the Green Tennis Center Feb. 3 against the Arkansas Lady Razorbacks at 1 p.m.

The next Mizzou Tennis report will take a look at Mizzou's three seniors, Erika Josbena, Amanda Pratzel and Yelena Olshanskaya. The third report will examine Mizzou's two juniors, Charlotte Bellis and Chrissy Svetlic, while the final report will preview the spring schedule.