Three seniors to lead way for smaller Seabreeze tennis squad

Ormond Beach Observer
Sports

With a smaller roster than last season, the Seabreeze girls tennis team looks to three seniors to lead the way.

BY MATT MENCARINI | STAFF WRITER

The Seabreeze girls tennis team was 13 players strong last season. This year, it's down to six players. But where some may see challenges in a smaller squad, head coach Jacklyn Gion believes there could be strength in small numbers.

“I’ve had to completely change the way that I've coached practices,” Gion said. “For years, I’ve had to come up with drills for large numbers of girls. Now, they can work independently and (I can) give them some one-on-one attention.”

Practices, this season, have more full-length games being played, Gion said, and she can work with individual players on individual parts of their game.

Having such a small team also puts more responsibility on the players to stay healthy and eligible, and also attend every practice.

Much of the reason for the early success — the team entered the week at 6-1 but lost to Spruce Creek March 4 — is a result of three seniors, who fill the team’s top three positions.

Kendall Hawthorne plays as the team’s No. 1, which means she faces off against each opponent’s top player. Alexa Tuttle is Seabreeze’s No. 2, and Lindsay Brock is No. 3.

“Those three seniors, the other three girls look up to them for leadership roles,” Gion said. “I haven't even announced a captain. ... It makes it easier on me because I know they're going to lead and there isn’t going to be the stress on one girl.”

Gion said each of the three seniors has a leadership quality necessary to keep the team focused and moving in the right direction.

She said Brock is the communicator, the vocal leader, and Tuttle is the team’s “spirit,” never letting the other players get too low.

“Kendall, as the No. 1, is the competitor who wants to push them and get them better and work their way through their matchups,” Gion said.

This week was a litmus test, of sorts, for Seabreeze, with matchups against Spruce Creek and Deltona. But the bigger test, and perhaps the bigger indicator of what the season will lead to, will start March 12, during the conference tournament.

“I always tell the girls, 'One step at a time,'” Gion said. “(But) I'm definitely looking toward the Five Star tournament to tell us how we're going to do.”