Photo by Ryan C. Harris
By Madison Mathews
Reporter
March 24, 2006
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Cassie Lomison focuses on her serve. Photo by Ryan C. Harris |
“My main goal coming into this spring season was to play my heart out in every match, leaving it all out on the court when I was done with the match,” said Lomison. “So far, I have done just that.”
Lomison is 4-0 at No.1 singles, beating out Laura Gonzalez from Virginia Intermont, Chloe Lipp from Savannah College of Art and Design, Nancie Gruber from Mars Hill and Tusculum’s Claudia Bolivar.
Together with her doubles partner, junior Krissi Denton, they have done remarkably well. The pair made it to the finals of the ITA Southeast Championships in Nashville, TN, in fall 2005. They lost 6-8 to Georgetown College.
Lomison said that she and Denton “played amazing at the tournament.” If they had won that game, they would have gone on to the Nationals in Florida. “No one expected us to get to the second round, let alone the finals of the tournament,” Lomison said.
Lomison believes that she and Denton have a good chance of going undefeated for the conference.
“She is a good teammate and a great friend,” Lomison said of her partner. “I’m just glad I have the chance to be her partner for my last year.”
Women’s tennis coach Marvin Glover is impressed with Lomison’s season.
“(Cassie is) playing outstanding tennis,” said Marvin Glover, the women’s tennis coach. “Every aspect of her game is solid.”
A tight class and work schedule in the fall forced Lomison to miss practices and made the season difficult. However, she did not let her busy schedule keep her from coming back this spring.
“I came into the season wanting to go out on a good note, not only because it’s my last season, but because it’s Coach Glover’s last season as well,” Lomison said.
Glover said that Lomison has provided fantastic “senior leadership” for the team.
“(She has) a strong work ethic, a positive attitude and a competitive spirit that never gives up,” he said, “Plus, she keeps piling up wins against the strongest competition our opponents have to offer.”
After Lomison graduates she will be working part-time at Horizon International in Indiana as a communications coordinator as well as the assistant coach for the girls’ tennis team at Mt. Vernon High School. Her part-time job with Horizon will turn into a full-time position in September, and she will continue to coach for the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams at Mt. Vernon.
“I’ve been praying that God would give me an opportunity to use the two passions I have, communications and tennis,” said Lomison, “and God definitely has given me the opportunity to do so.”
“She’ll be an excellent instructor and role model for young players, especially young women,” said Glover.