In his first season, Northwest tennis coach Andy Wolf experienced two different extremes.
On one hand, the Lady Rangers rode a wave of momentum to a .500 record and the program's first-ever appearance in the NJCAA Division I Championships. It was there that Northwest competed throughout the entire week, with then-freshman Allie Rawles winning the consolation singles draw of Flight Five, while the doubles tandem of Mattie Sanders and Grace Ann Wadeadvanced to the consolation finals of Flight Two.
For the Lady Rangers' accomplishments, Northwest finished at No. 20 in the final ITA Women's JUCO rankings.
Meanwhile, the men's team struggled with a freshman-heavy roster, finishing the season with a 2-12 overall record. Despite the challenges faced, the Rangers were still one win away from making the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament, which would have been the program's second consecutive appearance in the postseason.
With last season far in the rear-view mirror, Wolf and his teams have been working hard to improve in all areas heading into the 2025 regular season slate.
"We have turned up our preparation [in the offseason], in terms of conditioning," Wolf said. "We have really raised the intensity level and I think it will pay off on the court for both teams this year."
There is plenty of upside for both teams heading into Friday's season opener at Bevill State. Along with the return of Rawles and Sanders, Northwest brings back Kendall Moody, rounding out a veteran trio that is sure to provide a level of leadership for the Lady Rangers' six newcomers.
"They have progressed a lot in both tennis and in student life," Wolf said, on his returning sophomores. "They are leaders in every aspect. It has been good for them to model to the freshman what a student-athlete should look like. They are leading in every facet of the Northwest experience."
Meanwhile, three of the six freshmen on this year's roster hail from the Magnolia State. Lucy Grace Oliver arrives from a solid Winona Christian School program, joining Meg Daves (Coffeeville/Kirk Academy) and Amberly Turner (Mathiston/East Webster HS). The remaining three are from Argentina or Spain, as the addition of international student-athletes marks a new and exciting chapter for Wolf's program.
"It has been really fun to see this group come together," Wolf said. "They all have fun being around each other and they're lifelong friends now. Our international student-athletes will go and spend weekends with their Mississippi teammates, and they do everything together. That is what you want to see. It has been a growth opportunity for everybody and it has been a mutually beneficial relationship for everyone on our team."
Northwest should be much improved on the men's side of things as well. The Rangers return sophomores Gabriel Koonce and Joshua Tedford, a duo that was battle-tested last year and will lead the roster through another tough slate this season.
"They are the leaders in every facet," Wolf said. "They are good examples socially and in the classroom, as well as on the court. They set the pace for the group. Along with the three returners on the women's roster, I have been able to build that relationship with both guys, so Sophomore Day is going to be a hard goodbye for me later in the season."
Meanwhile, the addition of five newcomers means that Northwest will have another freshman-heavy roster in 2025. Three come from Mississippi, while Luca Morris and Miguel Lazaga Robayna arrive from New Zealand and Spain, respectively.
"Our freshmen are highly talented," Wolf said. "They are high-level on the court, but are also great people off the court. That has been a pleasure to coach and work with them this season."
In terms of the season schedule, the slate for the men's and women's teams are nearly identical, except for one non-conference match on February 1. Once again, programs like Jones College and Mississippi Gulf Coast are expected to be at or near the top of the MACCC standings, but Northwest certainly won't be afraid to challenge the teams at the top.
"What is interesting about tennis in our conference is the fact that we have gotten better, but so has everyone else around us," Wolf said. "We have put together a team on the women's side that I think can be really competitive. Last year, we finished sixth but I think we can jump up in the standings quite a bit. Our guys finished ninth in the conference last year, but I fully expect us to be back in the region tournament this season. The bar has been raised and I think they will respond to meet the challenge."
Since the return of tennis to Northwest in 2023, both programs have taken turns at making the national tournament, with the Ranger men going first two seasons ago. So it comes as no surprise that Wolf is planning for a couple of long road trips in May.
"Being in the national tournament is our expectation for both teams this year," Wolf said. "The women's tournament is in Texas again this year and the men's tournament is in South Carolina, so I am hoping to see us compete in both sites later this spring."
Northwest opens the season this weekend with three matches in Alabama, before hosting Rust College on Friday, Feb. 7 in the regular season home opener.
