Miami Tennis ITA Regionals Preview

Alex McKeon, For The Miami Student

The Miami University women's tennis team begins one of its most intriguing stretches this season as the RedHawks travel to Knoxville, Tennessee for the ITA Regionals, which begin Thursday.

The RedHawks are coming off a successful showing in West Lafayette, Indiana at the Purdue Invitational and look to continue that success as their fall stretch begins to wrap up.

"The team is ready to go," associate head coach Ricardo Rosas said. "They understand the level of competition that they will be facing. They are mentally prepared to compete against some very tough opponents from our region."

The 'Hawks face off against some top-notch competition in the Ohio Valley Region. They face host University of Tennessee, Indiana University, the University of Kentucky and Vanderbilt University among others. Head coach Yana Carollo has an idea of what the team needs to be successful.

"I think we are on continuous learning curve now," Carollo said. "It never ends. Every lost match we had earlier at Purdue needs to be turned into a Win. That means being better prepared tactically, physically and most importantly, mentally."

Miami looks for more strong production from its senior leaders, as well as the freshmen who have begun to settle into their roles.

"My lineup decision won't be based solely on the performance at the Regionals, but rather on the combined fall results," Carollo said.

The ITA Regionals are one of the last stops on the road before the second half of the year begins in January. After this, the RedHawks head back to West Lafayette, where they play in the Schwartz Challenge.