With only one senior in each of their starting lineups, the men's and women's tennis teams hope their young starters make strides this season. After finishing with a 7-12 record last year and ending in sixth place in the University Athletic Association, the men's tennis team will rely on additional experience to help bolster its record this year.

"Last year was one of the worst years we've had probably since I've been here ... in my three years," Lamanna said. "We had a lot of young guys that were inexperienced. ... The best part is they come in as sophomores, and a quarter of the team is sophomores now."

Last year's No. 1 and No. 2 singles players, Simon Miller '11 and Steven Nieman '11, both return with a year of college experience under their belts.

Captain Scott Schulman '09 also returns as the lone senior on the squad and looks to play with more confidence this year, after experiencing what it's like to play at the top of the lineup for the first time last season. Seth Rogers '10, who took his first year off to pursue the premed track, comes back for his second year with the team.

"Seth Rogers has probably improved more than anybody on the team," Lamanna said. "[He's] real hungry."

Four rookies join the returning players this season. The list includes Michael Tatarsky '12, who Lamanna expects to be one of the team's top prospects.

The women's team, which finished last year with a 12-7 record, good for fifth place in the UAA, also adds four rookies to a fall roster composed of strong sophomores and just one senior.

Lamanna praised the contributions of two of last year's rookies-Rachel Rosman '11, who played No. 1 singles and captured 20 singles victories, and Mackenzie Gallegos '11, who spent most of her time in the No. 5 singles spot and posted 16 singles wins. Rosman began the year in the No. 2 slot behind graduated senior Colleen Donnelly '08, but moved up to No. 1 midway through the fall season.

"The one thing about [Rosman], . she really is a true competitor, like more so than most kids," Lamanna said. "And for that reason, she hung in a lot of matches. She played well against top players. Now, we're trying to develop her game to the point where she's got the game to beat everybody, and not just the [competitiveness]."

Captain Gabrielle Helfgott '09, the lone senior on the team, will provide leadership and experience. Last year, she played No. 3 singles, winning 10 singles matches.

Unlike the men's squad, the women's team lost several key members from last year's team. Donelly, No. 6 singles player Ana Katz '08 and reserves Jennifer Levine '09 and Elizabeth Adamov '08 departed, and starters Ariana Sanai '10 and Emily Weisberger '10 are abroad and will miss the fall season.

Four rookies will step in and fill the voids. Sarah Richman '12, who Lamanna expects to have a strong season, headlines the group.

"She's a good junior," Lamanna said. "She's got really good skills. Real solid all-around. . [She has] no real weakness. I feel like she's going to be able to step up and have a good first year."

Both teams kick off their fall seasons this weekend, with the men playing in the Polar Bear Invitational in Brunswick, Maine at 10 a.m. and the women participating in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships at Trinity College at noon.