By Zack Kirby

The Chattanooga women's tennis team wrapped up their season with an 18-4 overall record. Despite falling to ETSU in the semifinal round of the Southern Conference Tournament, this was the third straight season the Mocs were able to record 18 wins.

The program accumulated a 70-20 record over the last four years, which is one of the best runs in school history.

Although the team loses seniors Kaylene Chadwell, Claire Mulyadi and Jovana Pecovski to graduation, it returns five upperclassmen for a potential strong season.

Along with the upperclassmen returning, head coach Jeff Clark welcomes a talented recruiting class that ranks No.16 in the nation among mid-major programs according to TennisRecruiting.net.

For this Q&A, Clark gives his impressions from last season, discusses the offseason and more.

What were some of the main takeaways that stood out to you after this season?
"When you analyze the fall and spring season, we had a really good year. We improved from the previous year in both our winning percentage and our finish in the conference. At the same time, we didn't win the conference and definitely had a team that was capable of doing it. In the end, we came up a little bit short, but I think that gives us a lot of motivation as we head into the 2015-16 season."

What are some areas of focus during this offseason?
"I know a lot of our girls have been spending a ton of time in the weight room, which is great. In this sport, there's not much of an offseason and it's pretty intense. You have to go through the fall season and then when January rolls around, you have to get ready for the dual matches. It's important for our players to be fit and strong to play the long season without injury.

"I thought that our strength coach Kenna Smoak did a great job with our team last year and we were in really good shape. I hope that we can really build on that and take our fitness to another level.

"Some of our girls have played in some tournaments this summer, and hopefully they'll continue to do that for when the school year starts back. It's important for them to stay in that competition and I think that if our players continue to do those things, we should be ready to go by August.

"I've always said that it doesn't matter how great you hit the ball if you can't stay out on the court two or three hours. It will always be hard to win. Furthermore, if you can't do that week in and week out over the course of the season, it can be difficult for your team to be good. It is a team sport and we need everybody on the team to be fit and ready to go. I really believe that the work we do in the weight room and our conditioning really contributed to the success we had."

With five upperclassmen returning next season, what impact do you think they can make?
"We have four seniors [Kayla Jones, Kelsey Coots, Katie Polk, Alison Storie] returning that have all won a lot of matches for us over the course of their careers. They have had great careers, but I think they will all agree that something is missing and they are not done.

"We have great experience and very motivated players. Anytime you can return six [total] out of nine, then that gives an advantage in experience. That is always something good to have on our side. I know that our goal is to be a championship and NCAA team. Those are the expectations that we've created in recent years, so we welcome that."

How will the returning experience and the nationally ranked recruiting class go hand-in-hand next season?
"The new players are going to be surrounded by people who know how our system works, and I think they are going to be quick learners. We have a great family atmosphere on our tennis team, and the players take care of each other.

"I expect the upperclassmen to take the younger players under their wing, and let them know that we're about working hard, competing and we want to win every match out. It will be a great combination. I believe that a team can be successful by developing the players that you have, along with the ability of recruiting talented players that will help you. They will then develop their careers and get better as well.

"We've been fortunate to have some great freshmen through the years. With Samantha Caswell getting SoCon Freshmen of the Year, she was the third player in our program to get that award over the last six years, along with Kaylene Chadwell and Jenna Nurik."

What do you see as Kayla Jones' potential for her senior season?
"Kayla had a breakthrough season this past year. She's had a great career thus far in singles and doubles. I felt like halfway through last year, she established herself as one of, if not the best player in our conference.

"She is someone that I have high expectations for, and I know she does too. I think she gained a lot of confidence in her own abilities this year and was able to win some big matches against some good players this spring. We're certainly going to need her to lead us like she did last season."

Rising senior Kayla Jones is coming off a breakthrough season with a 22-9 record.

What is your favorite thing about being a coach at the collegiate level?
"I love to see players mature as individuals. When they arrive, they are big kids and four years later, they are young adults. It's neat to see that. From a coaching standpoint, it's about simply making them better players. I take great pride in seeing a senior's game and looking at how far they've come over the course of four years with me. I want to try and help every player reach their potential, and I'm fortunate to see that growth and improvement in their lives.

"I love how all of the coaches and student-athletes really support each other at UTC. It's a great community within the athletic department both from the coaching and student-athlete standpoint. The longer I coach, the more I continue to learn. A great discipline in life is that there's always something to learn about it."