SENATOBIA - Although the weather hasn't been ideal for outdoor sports over the past month, tennis season begins this week for Northwest and first-year head coach Andy Wolf.

Wolf, who was hired over the summer to replace current Delta State coach Will Irvin, has had some time to get acclimated to his men's and women's programs, thanks to a loaded fall exhibition schedule. Now, the real season begins, with conference play looming large later in February.

"We have a class full of freshmen on the men's side and the women's team is full of returning sophomores," Wolf said, during his recent sit-down with Gary Darby on the BankFirst Ranger Hour. "We have a lot of veteran leadership on the women's team and those were recruits that Coach Irvin brought here. With our men being all newcomers, you measure yourself against where you start. So I have told them to look where they started in August and compare themselves to now, so that they can see how far they have come. Then, year after year, we can look at the growth and some of the things that we have coming down the pipe."

Despite the youth of his men's squad, the Rangers are full of talent. Spencer Rios is the lone out-of-state player on the roster, joining Northwest from Corpus Christi, Texas. From there, Wolf has Lewisburg products Gabriel Koonce and Campbell Owens on his roster, while also welcoming Joshua Tedford (Columbus, Miss./Heritage Academy) and Dallas Lane (Pontotoc). In addition, Wolf has also added two Northwest soccer student-athletes - Gunner Pitt and Josh Zuniga - to fill out his roster.

"Joshua [Tedford] and Gabriel Koonce are the main doubles team and two of our standout singles' players," Wolf said, on his freshman duo. 

As for the Lady Rangers, Wolf will benefit from the return of sophomores Raney Peacock, Holly Stewart, Rivers Tarsi and Grace Ann Wade. However, his freshmen will certainly make an impact as well.

"I expect big things from them," Wolf said, on his women's team. "I think Mattie Sanders and Grace Ann Wade are two players that highlight our leadership, both on and off the court. They are going to do well this year."

In addition to Sanders, Heritage Academy alumnus Kendall Moody and Winona Christian School product Allie Rawles will round out the season's roster.

Though the constant bout of snow, ice and rain have kept Northwest off the court so far, Wolf's teams have been preparing for the season in other ways.

"We have been in the gym, doing hand-eye coordination drills, footwork drills, conditioning and things like that," Wolf said. "That being said, nothing beats being on the court. Thankfully, we have been able to work in a few sessions at Tunica National and the indoor courts there."

One thing that brings some excitement for Wolf is the much-anticipated arrival of international student-athletes. Northwest is expected to bring in several in time for next season, and despite the added work, the benefits will be noticeable.

"It has been interesting, because we have to make the connections with the international students," Wolf said. "Once someone agrees to come here and play tennis, then you have to deal with the administrative side of things, and that has been a learning process for us all. However, the effort is going to pay off, not only on the court, but also in the way our kids develop and learn about the world around them. That will be a valuable experience for our players."

For now, Wolf has a season full of growth ahead of him. Northwest has a light non-conference slate, before jumping into MACCC competition in mid-February. The Rangers will host their home-opener on Friday, Feb. 23 against East Central, which will be one of five home matches on the schedule.

Although the competition will certainly be tough, Wolf has certainly enjoyed getting to know his colleagues from around the conference over the last several months.

"Every coach wants to win, but they are also there to support each other," Wolf said. "So I'm looking forward to continuing that development of relationships over this coming year."

Northwest will open its season on Tuesday against Blue Mountain Christian University, before traveling to Montgomery, Ala. on Saturday, Feb. 3. The Lady Rangers will face Central Alabama at 1 P.M., with the men taking on Gadsden State at 1 P.M., before both teams face Huntingdon College at 4 P.M.