This season marks a new beginning for Guilford College’s women’s tennis team. For the first time since the program’s inception, they are slated to receive a designated head coach. Last year, the team went 1-14 in their regular season and 0-11 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, a record they would like to improve upon this season.

New head coach Kim Kleimeier, the former assistant coach, is excited about the new energy she can bring.

Senior Olivia La Ganza is excited for the new season. She hopes the new coach will “offer us more of what we need in terms of availability and more (of their) time for training.”

She and other members are excited to take advantage of a full-time coach’s time and efforts. In previous years, the team has been coached by committee with help from the men’s head coach and an assistant women’s coach.

“We didn’t realize what we were missing until someone said we were getting a new coach,” La Ganza said.

Junior Megan Kimpel speaks of the team’s interpersonal strengths.

“We’re very close knit, it’s more about us bonding, and growing stronger together,” Kimpel said.

Kimpel is excited about the new appointment as well, she believes that having a new coach will help them improve their game.

In an email interview, Kleimeier said that she intends on building a “bigger sense of commitment from the players to the team, as well as a focused effort on recruiting for upcoming seasons.” She said she is also excited about being a high priority after the new designation of Sue Bower as athletic director.

Both Kleimeier and the players are looking forward to new recruitment efforts, expedited by the presence of a head coach. Most of the current players are upperclassmen who are excited about recruiting. Kleimeier intends on recruiting more high school players to build a stronger team, for new and returning players alike.

The current team is small, but its members are committed to and hopeful about the upcoming season. La Ganza speaks highly of the team,which she describes as welcoming and open, and her experience playing.

Kimpel speaks of the team as a family and is also looking forward to growing closer during the upcoming season. As the new head coach, Kleimeier wants to build upon these existing bonds in order to strengthen her team.

“(I want them to) have the most personal growth possible,” Kleimeier said. “Especially for my seniors. I hope they have a season that they will remember fondly for the rest of their lives.”

La Ganza believes the team has a welcoming atmosphere.

“If you have inclination that you might want to play, talk to to one of us. Come out and check out practice, it’s open,” La Ganza said. “It’s a small program but we would love to have people come watch our games too.”

The Quakers are tentatively scheduled to play their first match on Sept. 28, with their regular season starting Feb. 24, against Salem College at home.