UNC Wilmington women’s tennis coach Evan Clark enters his first year on the job with ten girls who are looking to prove that they are top competitors within the CAA.

And he couldn’t be happier about it.

Coach Clark has been UNCW’s head women’s tennis coach for a little over a month, having been chosen for the job on August 17, 2012. He’s wasting no time in bettering his team, either.

Whether in practice or during matches, Coach Clark wants the girls “to get better every day.” As the voice between the team and the coach, captains are extremely important in balancing the team’s chemistry. Senior Christina Riley is expected to fill this position. Riley enters her final year looking to build on last year’s success. Because Riley is a vocal leader and a top player this year, the Seahawks will rely on her to get the job done on and off the court.

This year’s team is quite athletic and can retrieve the ball and refrain from making mistakes just as well as anyone in the CAA this upcoming spring, but the team wants to sharpen its mental approach by spring. As Coach Clark explained, at this level everyone is near the same athletically. It’s the “mental adjustments” during the match that win and lose matches. 

The Seahawks will play Oct. 18-21 at the ITA Regionals in Winston-Salem, which will provide a measuring stick for the team’s progress.