The SMU women's tennis team isn't just returning to the NCAA Tournament — it's doing so with almost an entirely new roster.
Only two players remain from last year's roster, and with first-year head coach Kelcy McKenna arriving just before the fall semester, the Mustangs had little time to come together. Months later, that new group has turned early uncertainty into a postseason run.
"They've really done a great job working and they've been open-minded about the style of tennis," McKenna said. "We really believe in aggressive tennis and being able to prepare day in and day out and to be uncomfortable. They've done a really good job of facing that."
That work culminated Monday when the Mustangs were selected for the NCAA Tournament field. SMU will head to Norman to face Wichita State in the opening round Saturday morning.
Caroline McGinley is the only player on the roster who has had that experience before.
"For everyone except Caroline, it's their first time ever seeing their name called," McKenna said. "What a special experience for this group, a group that's worked really hard from the fall until now to earn this. I'm really happy for them."
Two years ago, McGinley was a freshman on the SMU team that won the American Athletic Conference championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She and Sophie Llewellyn are the only returners, joined by two transfers — Natalie Stasny and Gina Feistel — and five freshmen.
She knows what the rest of the roster is feeling and is excited to share this experience with them.
"It's really fun to have teammates who haven't seen a lot of it and are just bright-eyed and excited to see the next step of the season," McGinley said. "I think I'm the only one on the team who has played in the NCAAs, which is absolutely insane but so exciting because everyone gets to experience it for the first time."
One of those new faces is ACC Freshman of the Year Amelie Van Impe.
She joined the roster in the spring, played her first match on Jan. 31, and moved into the No. 1 singles spot by her third match. Van Impe finished 12-2 at No. 1 and 13-3 overall in singles.
The support from her teammates helped her settle in quickly and finish the season on a seven-match winning streak.
"I just came here without expectations and to just go with the flow," Van Impe said. "In the beginning I had to find my rhythm a bit, struggling with some matches. But toward the end of the season, now I'm feeling great. That gives me a lot of motivation to do well for the rest of the team, as well."
Van Impe and McGinley teamed up to play No. 1 doubles, too. Together, they went 15-2 and were named All-ACC Second Team Doubles.
The pairing came to be because of Van Impe's desire to play on her forehand side and McGinley's ability to play opposite. They clicked right away, and the success followed.
"I love our doubles. We have fun," McGinley said. "It's honestly great. We work really well together on the court. I think our communication is great, and it was really good from the start, and we've only grown."
McGinley has had plenty of success on her own, too. She finished the year 10-4 overall, including 9-4, holding down the No. 3 spot.
"It's been really cool for her hard work to translate into success," McKenna said of McGinley. "That doesn't always happen, and her belief in her tennis and in her ability to be aggressive and to play big in big moments, I think she's really shown in that role."
This year's team has already taken a step forward, going 7-5 in the ACC after finishing 4-8 a year ago.
The Mustangs were competitive in matches last season, but this year they have been able to pull out more victories.
"Last year we did well, but obviously came up a little short," McGinley said. "Then this year, I think Kelcy's done a great job of making sure we make a name for ourselves within the ACC. Being a part of that is super special. Getting to be a part of a team that's making such a big impact on the future of this program has been really fun."
The Mustangs did so while navigating a challenging schedule.
They had some tricky road trips and were playing two conference matches a weekend while many of their opponents played just once.
"We felt like they had really been tested," McKenna said. "And there were some matches where we had opportunities and came up a little bit short. So they're hungry to continue to get better, and they're excited to be playing in May."
SMU will get a second chance at one of those opportunities. The Mustangs traveled to Wichita State on Jan. 19, their third match of the spring, and lost 4-2.
But much has changed since then.
"As a team, we didn't show up. It definitely was not our best day of tennis," McGinley said. "It also was really early on in the season, and I think our growth from January to May has been tremendous. So being able to play them again will show that growth, and it's exciting to see."
Now the Mustangs will put that growth to the test.
After the ACC Championships, SMU returned to practice and refocused on the NCAA Tournament.
"We've had, you know, eight good days of practice," McKenna said. "We ended our ACC Championship a little prematurely. We felt like we had more to give, and I think everybody really wished they were playing that next match. For us, it's about taking that next step."
