As the ladies of the Georgia women’s tennis team collected the balls that managed to stray beyond the edge of the outdoor courts in the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, head coach Jeff Wallace sat down with The Red & Black to catch up with the man at the helm of a team in the hunt to repeat as SEC Champions.

JEFF WALLACE

Let’s start off talking about Chelsey Gullickson. What is it that makes her so special and lets her step up and lead the team as just a sophomore?
Chelsey’s having another great year to back up her great freshman year. She’s definitely on track and doing well. You know, she’s a big hitter and she’s an aggressive player. We’re going to continue to work on her transitional game and if we can add a big serve, she’s got the potential to be a phenomenal player.

She’s also on a 16-game win streak in doubles with sophomore Nadja Gilchrist. Where do you see their potential taking them?
With what Nadja and Chelsey have accomplished in their first year and what they’re currently accomplishing, we’re most excited about their future and their potential.
It’s important as always they stay focused on improving together and that’s when really good things are going to happen.

Yvette Hyndman has been one of the strongest players for you since the season moved outdoors. She’s gone 6-0 in the SEC. What is it that has allowed her to turn her game around after struggling in the indoor season?
Well, Yvette’s started to really practice hard. She’s been coming in for individual workouts and she’s improving every aspect of her game. I’ve always said — and I’ve said this to you before — if you’re coming in extra and working hard a practice, good things are going to happen for you. Yvette’s the prime example of that.

Your team has been climbing the ITA national rankings the past month, up to No. 13 now. Do you pay any mind to these team rankings?
I mean, I know what they are. But they’re not important right now. The last ranking is already gone. And next Tuesday this ranking will be gone. The only ranking that’s final is… the final one. So that’s the only one that matters for us.

What about singles and doubles rankings?
If they’re getting better, that’s what’s important. The rankings and the awards are byproducts of hard work and improvement. If you do everything right, the awards, the rankings will come. So we stay focused on the process, not the rewards.