Lady Bulldogs hope to reload on the courts BY SHAWN LAYTON Staff Writer METUCHEN - All-Blue Division selections in 2005, Melissa Martin and Amy Rutland will be called upon to lead the Metuchen High School girls tennis team when the new season gets under way at 3:45 p.m. Sept. 8 in South River. The Bulldogs suffered a serious blow in the spring with the graduation of all three singles players from last year's lineup. No. 1 singles player Melanie Simms, No. 2 singles player Liana Vaccari, and No. 3 singles player Anna Lee graduated and left some rather important vacancies. Two of the three vacancies looked to be filled by Martin and Rutland, with senior Srivani Rachakonda and junior Chrissy Wooding in contention for the final singles spot. "I think Melissa and Amy will turn into really good singles players," Metuchen head coach Rob Strauss said. "Hopefully they will bring the aggressive style of play they brought to the doubles court to their new positions. They understand that an aggressive style of play will be an asset on the singles court. Rachakonda was a No. 2 doubles player last year with Wooding, and both have looked strong in preseason practices. Junior Christina Mancheno looked to be in contention for a singles position before a dislocated shoulder put her on the shelf for at least a month. Mancheno did an excellent job last season filling in at No. 3 singles for an injured Lee. "That's a big loss for the team," Strauss said. "She's definitely among our top seven, and we're happy Christina doesn't need surgery, but it looks like she'll be out for at least a month." Mancheno's injury may open the door for freshmen Jen O'Neill and Cori Zack and juniors Tiffany Mongiardini and Caroline Finden to see court time. "The girls played a bit over the summer and attended some camps," Strauss said. "They're looking forward to earning those top spots. We look to be more competitive than we have in the past, and it's nice to see." Sophomores Paula Clarkson and Chrissy Magruger and seniors Kerry Smyth and Becci Sher look to battle it out for doubles positions. "We don't have the luxury of an over-the-top player," Strauss said. "We do have a deep lineup and we'll have to get wins from top to bottom." The Dogs will get some scrimmages in this week before the season opener at South River. The team will take on Sayreville tomorrow and Colonia Friday as tune-up matches in an effort to solidify its lineup. "Our first match with South River looks to be an exciting match," Strauss said. "They tend to be one of the better teams in our division and it should be a test of where we stand at the beginning of the season."