New Look EFSC Women’s Tennis Team Hard at Work

By  //  September 5, 2014

Coach Wally Norwich looking forward to season

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Wally Norwich might be new to Eastern Florida State College but he certainly isn’t new to tennis.

Eastern Florida's fall season will be comprised of intra-squad challenge matches and scrimmages with local club and college teams and one formal event, the Sept. 26-28 USTA /ITA Regional Tournament/Florida College System Activities Association Fall Tournament in Altamonte Springs. The USTA/ITA event figures into a team's standing heading into spring championship season. (Eastern Florida image)
Eastern Florida’s fall season will be comprised of intra-squad challenge matches and scrimmages with local club and college teams and one formal event, the Sept. 26-28 USTA /ITA Regional Tournament/Florida College System Activities Association Fall Tournament in Altamonte Springs. The USTA/ITA event figures into a team’s standing heading into spring championship season. (Eastern Florida image)

Thus Norwich, who was named head coach of the second-year women’s program in June, will use the fall season to get to know his players and allow his players to get to know the coach who is in his fifth decade in the sport.

Eastern Florida’s fall season will be comprised of intra-squad challenge matches and scrimmages with local club and college teams and one formal event, the Sept. 26-28 USTA /ITA Regional Tournament/Florida College System Activities Association Fall Tournament in Altamonte Springs. The USTA/ITA event figures into a team’s standing heading into spring championship season.

But that doesn’t mean every day of the fall season – be it spent conditioning in the gym or running or practicing on the courts – won’t be important as Norwich works to shape his roster.

Isabella Giuliane Sella
Isabella Giuliane Sella

Brazilian Isabella Sella – who played at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the majority of the Titans inaugural season – returns. Joining her are newcomers Jemina Lin Sorman of Jonkoping, Sweden; Danyelle Copeland of Pelham, Georgia; and Nicole Trio of Satellite Beach, Florida and Satellite High who are expected to fill the top four singles slots and the top two slots for doubles.

Competing for the fifth and sixth singles slots and the third doubles slot are newcomers Kaitlin Pushman of Melbourne, Florida and Eau Gallie High, Veronica Waronika of Satellite Beach, Florida and Satellite High, Alexandra Andrews of Cocoa Beach, Florida and Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High and Samantha Martin of Melbourne, Florida and West Shore Jr./Sr. High and returnees Hope Fellows of Cocoa Beach, Erica Nielsen of Merritt Island, Florida and Laura Gorski of Palm Bay, Florida.

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Wally Norwich New Eastern Florida Women’s Tennis Coach

The additional players are a boost for the Titans who competed last spring with the minimum of six players for the three doubles and six singles competitions that constitute a match.

Eastern Florida finished with a 3-11 record but was ranked 22nd nationally. Individually Sella was ranked 38th.

Eastern Florida is practicing this fall at Melbourne’s Jimmy Moore Tennis Complex at Sarno and Wickham roads as its future home, a new, eight-court, lighted facility, nears completion on the Melbourne Campus for the spring season.

Wally Norwich
Wally Norwich

“We will focus in the beginning on conditioning, drills and challenge matches within our team to prepare for the tournament and our spring season,” Norwich said.

“Longer term we are looking to improve our national ranking and go to the national tournament. That’s the team’s goal.”

The top three teams from the Florida College System Activities Association spring tournament advance to nationals. EFSC competes with Florida State College Jacksonville, State College of Florida Manatee Sarasota, Hillsborough Community College, Broward College and St. Petersburg College.