By By SCOTT NOVAK / Dowagiac Daily News
The Dowagiac girls' tennis team would love nothing better than to duplicate last year's success.
All Dowagiac did was win the school's first ever regional championship and qualify for the state finals.
With a majority of its squad returning, Dowagiac is among the favorites to capture another Division 4 regional title.
Returning for the Chieftains are regional champions Lisa Rubino and Ann O'Keefe at No. 1 and No. 2 singles. O'Keefe moves up from No. 4 singles to No. 2 this season.
Also back are the No. 1 doubles team of Calie Daniels and Lindsay Tyler. They move up from No. 2 doubles a season ago.
Dowagiac lost No. 3 singles player Ashley Urbanski to graduation, while No. 2 singles player Barbara Laing has decided to not play tennis this season.
Also back are Taylor Townsend and Amelia First, who will fill the other two singles positions after playing doubles last season.
Other returning doubles players are Ashley Smith, Kim Rutkowski and Kayleigh Sundman.
Filling out the squad are new faces Kaitlyn Tyrakowski, Shelly Urbanski, Tonya Scherer, Samantha Stone and Kate Duszynski.
Veteran Dowagiac coach Chuck Rubino said he is going to carry five doubles teams this season.
He added that while the big picture is to repeat as regional champions, his immediate goals for the team is to just improve each match.
Dowagiac will open up its season today with a junior varsity match against Cassopolis. The varsity will open up on Friday, Aug. 26 against Three Rivers. The Chieftains were scheduled to open on Monday with Paw Paw, but that match has been postponed.
The match has been rescheduled for Sept. 6.
Dowagiac will also field a full junior varsity squad this year with a couple of girls floating back and forth between the JV and the varsity.
The Chieftains have 24 players on the 2005 roster.
Playing junior varsity matches this season will be Elizabeth Kolden, Katie Fenech, Chelsea Allison, Jessica Hargett, Lindsay Meiser, Jessica Robinson, Jessica Karnes, Brianne Emmons, Heather Bankston and Amanda Cross.
Besides winning another regional championship, Dowagiac would also like to qualify for the Big 16 Conference Gold Division Tournament at the end of the season.
Dowagiac will play on the tennis courts at the new middle school this season. The Chieftains will also host the school's first tennis tournament on Sept. 10.
Participating will be Three Rivers, Buchanan and Constantine.