Staff Writer
With 18 years of coaching experience behind him, Caribou girls’ tennis coach John Habeeb is using the 2008 season to drill tennis technique and push his young athletes in competitive matches.
Staff photo/Meridith Paterson
Caribou’s Missy Nadeau watches her serve go over the net during her doubles match against Presque Isle last Wednesday.
“We have lots of inexperienced players on our team, and we need to play as many challenging matches as possible,” explained Habeeb.
The ’08 Viking lineup misses their number-one single Casey Corriveau who ranked number-eight in the state, and number-one double Abby Small. However, several freshmen and sophomores have stepped up to take their place on the courts.
First in singles is freshman Laura Collins with an all-around athletic game. At number-two is senior Octavia Panzeri a senior exchange student from Italy. “She has nerves of steel and ice in her veins,” commented Habeeb.
The third single is freshman Jenna Selander who boasts top speed and a great deal of potential.
The first doubles pairing is senior Nicole Nadeau and sophomore Missy Nadeau. N. Nadeau continues to work for a singles position due to her experience, and matches well with Missy Nadeau’s all-court game. The second Viking pair is sophomore Megan Nadeau and freshman Lydia Kieffer. Megan Nadeau has a strong baseline game, and Kieffer competes as the only left-handed player.
Substitutes for the ’08 team are sophomore Elizabeth Barbosa, senior Danielle Pelkey and freshman Alyson Michaud. According to Habeeb, the lineup may change as the season progresses.
