This is going to be a growing season for the Penn State women's tennis team -- and that is just fine with coach Buffy Baker.

After the graduation of standout Leigh Ann Merryman and a tough spring campaign that resulted in no Big Ten wins for the Nittany Lions, the team is looking to use the fall season to build on its young talent.

"The fall is an opportunity for them to get a lot of matches under their belt," Baker said.

"It allows them to see different levels in competing and let them know where they can go. I look for the experience...to be good for us. I'd like for us to use this time to work on things technically."

She also stresses the importance of the fall as a time to come together as a team. It's a time to, "solidify and bond, which is a strength of ours," Baker said.

Baker expects the team to look at Merryman's career for inspiration, calling her a "true competitor."

"She left a legacy, and that was a legacy of showing up to practice and working hard everyday, day in and day out," Baker said. "She has left that print on the minds of those others returning."

While Merryman's act is hard to follow, Baker believes that several players on the roster have the potential to step up and lead the team.

"I think...some of the players are close to filling those shoes. Maaria Husain has been playing at a level that was at the level of a number one in many matches. I think that she has displayed to be the closest, at this point, to what we're looking for," Baker said.

"But, there were a couple [of girls] that over the summer, trained really hard and were just getting into everything, so it's kind of yet to be determined," she added.

Baker also believes the addition of assistant coach Katie Dougherty, a 2002 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, will no doubt help to resurrect a team that just four years ago finished fifth in the Big Ten and won a slot in the NCAA tournament.

"She brings experience, knowledge -- the work ethic that is going to be necessary.," Baker said of Dougherty.

"She and I are on the same page of what we want to accomplish, and I think the girls see that."

So what is it exactly that this team wants to accomplish this fall?

"We know how to work hard. We know how to compete. We just have to figure out how to win on a consistent basis," Baker said.

The women's tennis team kicks off the season this morning in Philadelphia at the University of Pennsylvania's Cissy Leary Invitational.