Demorest, GA - For many other teams, the 2014 schedule that lies in front of the Lady Lion tennis team might be too daunting.  However, with long-time Head Coach Shane Wood at the helm and a team that knows how to keep the atmosphere light under pressure, it's no wonder that the Lady Lions are taking a page of out their leader's book and taking it one day at a time. 

"We've made some strides, we've gotten a couple of good days of practice in," said Wood of his team's preparation.  "The weather has been a big challenge for us, but we have had some intensity in our practices.  I think the kids have enjoyed the days where it's been clear enough to be outside, and they always enjoy the competition, we've been working pretty hard."

Hard work will of course be key to the success of the Lady Lions in 2014, but the return of a talented #1 singles player always helps and Piedmont does indeed return its top singles slot from last season with senior Katie Sailors coming back after a junior season that saw the Georgia native tally nine singles wins at the #1 spot.  Having played at the #1 singles spot the last two seasons for PC, Sailors is 13-8 in 21 conference matches played during her career with the green and gold with seven of her nine singles wins last year coming in USA South action.

Sailors' success in conference play was a big reason for Piedmont's top four finish in conference play last season, and her return is most likely a big reason her Lady Lions are picked to finish 4th once again in the USA South despite losing five from the 2013 roster including their #2 and #3 singles players, Chelsea Prince and Meghan Smith.  Despite the losses, the expectations remain for the 2014 version of the Lady Lions who will look to remain a top four team in the vaunted USA South.

However, to accomplish all that has been set before the Lady Lions, Head Coach Shane Wood believes it will be his veterans who will have to step up the most as the team is led by both Sailors as well as senior Ashley Fannon who also were Piedmont's most successful doubles pair in 2013.  The two partnered to go 11-5 at the #1 doubles spot continuously giving Piedmont a chance to start off the match on the right foot, a factor which led to the team's 4th place finish in the USA South last season.

With the success of his veterans in mind, Coach Wood spoke of specific plans to increase one of those roles as he will look to Fannon not only for her doubles play and leadership on and off the court, but also to an expanded role in singles play.

"Ashley has probably made the most improvement from freshman year to this year," said Wood of his senior's effort towards cementing a spot with the Lady Lion tennis program. "She has played really well in practice, and we're going to look to her to anchor a doubles spot with Katie, but also to win more singles matches for us this year as well."

The expansion of Fannon's role comes as the team will look to weave four freshmen into the lineup as well as a pair of veterans who have been around the Piedmont athletic department, but step onto the court for the first time with the green and gold this season.  Those two include women's soccer players Kelley Miller and Laura Goodwin, each of whom are among many of the Piedmont student-athletes who competed in multiple sports before arriving in Demorest and have tennis experience prior to coming to play for the Lady Lion soccer team which recently won a USA South title last fall.

However, the two won't be alone in having transitioned from one sport to another as they share such company on the same team in the senior Ashley Fannon who is also a member of the Piedmont volleyball team and was a freshman on the Lady Lion team that won a conference title in 2010.  Now a veteran on the outside as well as inside courts, the championship experience that Fannon brought as a player couples with the same from Miller and Goodwin to create a ton of successful experience on a team led by one of the department's most decorated coaches in Shane Wood who has ten combined conference championships since 2001.

The new additions will only deepen a PC lineup which faces a tall task in 2014 right out the gate as they travel to Tennessee to face the Tigers of Sewanee-The University of the South.  Sewanee hosted this past fall's USTA/ITA South Regional with a number of Tigers earning berths in the regional semifinals as the Tennessee-based program returns a pair of ITA All-Americans from last season.

"We use the Sewanee Trip as a measuring stick for us in a way," said Coach Wood when asked of his team's season opener this Saturday.  "They've got a lot of great tradtion tennis-wise up there, I'm great friends with their coaches, and they hosts us well.  We don't have to worry about weather as they have a great indoor facility.  We want to get our kids out on the court and get them competing against the highest level possible, it gives us an idea of where we stand."

That Sewanee season opener is set for this coming Saturday, February 15th with matches slated to begin at 1:00 pm.  Fans can follow all the action of the 2014 Piedmont women's tennis team by visiting the official homepage of the Lady Lions on the web at www.PiedmontLions.com.