an off-note, Linfield’s women’s tennis team has high hopes and expectations for their new head coach this season, and vice versa.

Lisa Macy-Baker, Linfield’s new NCAA Compliance Officer and head women’s tennis coach, has spent the last 12 years working as both a special education teacher and a women’s tennis coach at Mountain View High School in Bend, Ore., McMinnville High School and Duniway Middle School in McMinnville.

“So far Lisa is well liked by our team,” junior Gretchen Jernstedt said in an email. “I think she will bring some fresh ideas and plans, while also staying open to our feedback.”

Macy-Baker was “born and bred” in McMinnville and has been playing tennis competitively since her freshmen year of high school. Macy-Baker considers it her “first love” in regards to sports.

“I took my first private lesson from Linfield’s number one tennis player at the time,” Macy-Baker said.

Macy-Baker grew up in McMinnville and later attended Oregon State University after receiving a full-ride basketball scholarship. She played basketball her freshmen year, but quit due to the lack of support she received from her coaches while they were under investigation for violations.

“I learned a lot from that experience and it helps me now as a coach,” Macy-Baker said. “I know that I want to make sure my freshmen are well supported and well taken care of.”

Macy-Baker plans to meet with freshmen players on a weekly basis to ensure they are receiving the necessary support to succeed—not only on the courts, but in the classroom as well. Other plans for the six-week fall season include player performance evaluations, spring season preparation and outdoor practices as often as possible before the rainy season.

“Our long-term plans are to maintain the excellence that has been this program,” Macy-Baker said. “Last year was a bit of an off year…But [if] you look at the history, they have won the conference [title] six out of the last 10 years.”

Practices are scheduled everyday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. She has also planned various 6:00 a.m. conditioning sessions and time for weight lifting. According to Jernstedt, this year’s practice schedule is slightly different than last year’s.

The women’s tennis will play their first preseason tournament in late September, and will have various inter-squad matches throughout the season.

Macy-Baker also plans to have the team participate in McMinnville’s Runtoberfest, a community run on Oct. 5 that raises money for the McMinnville Education Foundation.

“We want to optimize the team experience,” Macy-Baker said. “Tennis is often viewed as an individual sport, but the way it’s set up at this level, it is truly a team sport.”

Samantha Sigler / Editor-in-Chief

Samantha Sigler can be reached at [email protected]