The Linfield women's tennis team, three-time defending champions of the Northwest Conference and NWC Tournament, is back in action and ready to defend its throne again in 2023.
 
Off to a 5-1 start so far this year, the Wildcats return six players and four All-NWC selections for first-year head coach Tessa Kern.
 
Kern graduated from the program last season after a decorated career as a player, earning First Team All-NWC twice. Former head coach and reigning NWC Coach of the Year Ella Riddle Maliska will move to an assistant role as well as continuing her duties as the Linfield Athletics Strength and Conditioning and Sport Performance Coach.
 
"It's been amazing being able to lead these girls that I was just teammates with because we have such a great connection already," Kern said.
 
"I've taken stuff from my past few coaches, Ella Riddle Maliska, Lisa Macy Baker, Carl Swanson, and continued that into the program this year. They've set a nice guideline for me. What's made us so successful was the way they ran practices and matches and managed the team culture."
 
Lineup depth will once again be a strength for Linfield. Last season, the Wildcats posted a 38-9 record in No. 3, 4 and 5 singles matches and a 26-7 mark in No. 2 and 3 doubles flights.
 
"Everyone plays at a high level on this team. That allows me to mix around my lineup spots a lot because a lot of our girls play at a similar level, and then we can trust the lower half of the lineup in matches.
 
"Doubles is something we're always trying to be strong at because that's the jump start of the match. Getting that early lead is really good and something we can do because we've got a lot of strong doubles players on the team."
 
Kern will look to her most experienced players, seniors Taryn Fujimori, Lexie Matsunaga and Allena Wong to lead the top of the Linfield lineup in singles and get the 'Cats off to fast starts in doubles.
 
"Taryn just battles so hard through every match. She's one of our most mentally tough players out there on the court. Lexie and Taryn are our top two for singles right now.
 
"Having Lexie back is definitely a good thing for our doubles program. In the fall, we had to do some mixing around just because she wasn't there, but with her back, it's been nice to see success in doubles all the way through the No. 1, 2 and 3 lineup spots."
 
Fujimori posted a 6-2 record when playing No. 1 doubles last season while Matsunaga was 7-0 in the No. 2 spot.
 
"We're still figuring out the double's lineup, I'm looking at maybe putting Allena into that top spot because she has the most amazing hands at the net and is a good server."
 
Fujimori was selected to the All-NWC First Team for the second time in her career last season. Matsunaga is a two-time all-conference selection and Wong earned her first career all-star nod last year. But younger talent persists throughout the lineup, including junior Sarah Forester, a Second Team All-NWC pick last year after going 12-3 in singles and 4-0 in doubles. Kern will look to Forester to often hold down the No. 3 singles flight. 
 
"We want Sarah in that No. 3 spot for singles. In this early season, she's showed her potential. In the fall, I watched her struggle with a mental block on certain things, but it's been great to watch her move past that and swing out and play how I know she can play."
 
Linfield looks to sophomores, Emma Tuttle and Alexis Garner, and freshman Lisa Ponti to fill out the rest of the lineup. Tuttle, the most experienced of the trio, posted a 9-0 record in singles as a freshman.
 
"With Emma, we're working on the mental toughness. She can be hard on herself, but she's an incredible player and I want her to see that she can play this game at a high level."
 
Garner only saw action in four matches as a freshman but will be asked to often fill out the doubles lineup with solid team play at the net. Ponti, the lone newcomer, has already shown that she will be a force down the line after a strong showing in the B Draw of the fall ITA West Region Tournament.
 
The Wildcats have started the season 5-1 and 2-0 in Northwest Conference play after opening the NWC schedule with a 9-0 win against Willamette and a 7-2 win at George Fox.
 
Linfield takes a four-match winning streak into this weekend, hosting Whitman at noon on Friday and Whitworth at 11 a.m. Saturday.