RICHMOND, Ky. - Five of the seven players on the Eastern Kentucky University women’s tennis team are freshmen, but head coach Rob Oertel believes he could be dealing with a special group in 2012.

“From one to seven the talent level is as good as any team I’ve ever had,” Oertel said. “All five freshmen are very talented and have good tennis IQs.”

The entire team had an unbelievable fall season, posting a 37-15 (.711) overall record in singles against some quality competition. Four players represented EKU at the ITA regional tournament in Memphis, Tenn. Freshman Amandine Faouzi picked up a first round win over Chattanooga’s Alexa Flynn and nearly knocked off 13th-seeded Marie Casares of Vanderbilt before falling in three sets, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.

“The big unknown with this group is our doubles,” Oertel said. “I hope our doubles can be in the middle of the road as far as performance, I know our singles is going to take us a long way.”

Faouzi is shaping up to be the No. 1 player in the line-up. She plays a very strong counter-punching game, but has the ability to take the ball on the rise.

“Amandine is as competitive as they come,” Oertel said. “She has the heart of a lion and that is definitely her greatest strength.”

Three other freshmen enrolled at EKU in the fall season – Melissa Gerritsen, Kristina Labeja and Carmen Rodriguez. Gerritsen has a big serve and forehand that can do some damage on the tennis court. Labeja has a unique style of play that can frustrate the opposition. Meanwhile, Rodriguez dominated the lower brackets in the fall tournaments (7-1) thanks to a strong forehand wing.

Marcela Jimenez, the fifth freshman, joined the team mid-year and is still a little bit of an unknown factor on the team. Coach Oertel believes that Jimenez has the potential to play in the middle of the line-up thanks to her court speed and solid forehand.

The remaining two players on the roster – Saioa Oscoz and Milena Poffo – are sophomores and played in the middle of the line-up in 2011. Oscoz relies on her baseline game to win matches as she finished 4-4 in OVC singles last year.

Poffo enjoyed one of the best fall seasons of anyone on the roster with an 8-2 record. She went 6-2 against OVC competition as a freshman mainly at the No. 5 position.

If the Colonels can overcome their lack of experience in match play, they could be in the hunt for the program’s second conference title in the last four years.