By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

After several weeks of hot practices, the Lady Bearcat tennis team opens its season this afternoon, when they hit the road to face the Lady Bluejays of Charleston.

Head coach Leanne Dooley - who also heads the men’s team - expects great things out of the 2011 rendition of the squad.

“We’re going to have a dandy team this year,” Dooley said. “We’ve got a lot of good athletes coming in, especially some of these basketball players.”

The Lady ‘Cats have a slightly lopsided schedule this year. The squad alternates between ‘away, home, away’ in their first three games, and then have six straight home matches.

They close the season with five straight road matches leading into the District Tournament on October 6.

The Lady ‘Cats have three matches this week: they open the season today at Charleston. Wednesday (Aug. 31), they face off with Sikeston at home. Thursday (Sept. 1), the squad goes back on the road against the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules.


All matches this week are scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start.

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Photo Above: Haley Hubbard returns a serve during one of the 'Cats' many practice sessions this summer.