March 23, 2005

WEST POINT, N.Y. - As spring approaches and the weather on the banks of the Hudson grows warmer, seniors Pam Chavez and Lyndsey Nott prepare to conclude a journey that began five years ago on the hardcourts of the United States Military Academy Prep School (USMAPS).

The pair arrived at the Fort Monmouth, N.J., institution in the summer of 2000 without any friends and unsure of what lay ahead. Weary from their trans-continental trips, Pam coming from Albuquerque, N.M., Lyndsey from West Richland, Wash., the twosome prepared for five years of growth, development and opportunity.

"Pam has been one of my best friends for five years," said Nott. "Meeting Pam at the prep school really helped when we entered West Point. It was good to know I had at least one friend coming into the Academy."

Both athletes began their respective tennis careers relatively late in their childhood with neither picking up a racket before their 10th birthday. Nott came from the Pacific Northwest, known more for its overcast skies and rugged wilderness than its tennis stars, while Chavez was a product of a more suitable climate for tennis in New Mexico. By the age of 12, Lyndsey was competing in regional and national tournaments, which she continued to enter throughout her high school career for the Richland Bombers.

Pam took a different route to achieving her goal of a spot on a Division I college tennis roster. For three years, Chavez attended the world-renowned and highly competitive Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla. Bollettieri's, which is part of the IMG's multi-sport academy complex, has produced such tennis superstars as Anna Kournikova and 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova. Under the tutelage of legendary instructor Nick Bollettieri and his army of assistants, Chavez honed her skills via two practice sessions per day, intra-academy tournaments on the weekends and traveling to major competitions throughout the United States.

Living two time zones away from her home in Albuquerque forced Chavez to grow up at a much younger age than most teens as she resided on her own in an apartment from the time she was 15 until she completed her studies at the academy at 18.

"It freed me to be independent because I wasn't with my parents," commented Chavez. "I already had an away-from-home feeling by the time I arrived at the prep school.

"I was able to compete in a lot of tournaments, and that helped me when I came to West Point because we play many different schools, so I had some experience with traveling."

What Bollettieri's provided in athletic training it lacked in academics.

"School there wasn't the main concern because most of the people who go to Bollettieri's are trying to make it as a professional."

Following a year at USMAPS, where Nott and Chavez practiced every morning with the men's team captain Sebastian Salas, the duo enrolled at West Point for their plebe year in 2001.

"Academically, [the prep school] was definitely necessary," said Nott of her experience at USMAPS. "Without the prep school, I don't think I would have made it into West Point. It also gave me an extra year to play tennis and at the same time almost take a break from the competitiveness of the sport. All through juniors, you're playing year round."

Both Chavez and Nott used their freshman campaigns to become acclimated to the nuances of collegiate tennis and with life at West Point. As sophomores in 2003, the pair posted winning records in singles play as the Black Knights won their fifth Patriot League crown and fourth in five years. Their junior season proved to be a springboard to success for both athletes. Chavez posted a 23-9 mark in doubles action, teaming primarily with Amanda Paluch at No. 3 in dual matches, while Nott registered a 16-9 ledger in singles competition.

Their final season has the potential to be their best. Army is off to a 14-4 start and is only six victories shy of eclipsing the Academy record for wins in a season set last year at 19. The Black Knights also got a monkey off of their back last month when they beat Air Force for the first time in six years and regained the prestigious Gideon Cup for the fifth time since its inception in the 1990-91 season.

"It was one of the best wins the team has ever had," said Chavez. "We really struggled with them the last five years and winning that match was one of our main goals this season."

Since Navy does not sponsor women's tennis, Air Force is Army's biggest rival.

"It will be Air Force chasing us now, I think that is how the rivalry will be in the near future," explained Nott.

The 2003 conference crown, which included an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament, gave Chavez and Nott a taste of postseason play as the Black Knights begin their quest for the 2005 Patriot League championship.

"We've had a very good season thus far," said Chavez. "We are really close, all of us, and that helps a lot. We have excellent team chemistry and that is helping us win tough matches."

Pam Chavez

The doubles squad of Chavez and Paluch, a junior, anchors the No. 3 position in the lineup for the Black Knights with a 13-7 record, while Nott is holding her own in singles play at 12-12 and 8-7 on the spring.

"Our teammates call us the odd couple because we're so different," explained Chavez of her partnership with Paluch. "We know each other so well. We know how to pump each other up, and we know how to act and react to each other no matter what happens on the court."

Even though these seniors are in their fifth year with the program, they are still learning and improving their game everyday.

"I think I've gotten a lot better this season," said Nott. "I'm practicing even more now than I did last year because the strength of our freshmen class."

Chavez and Nott enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the class of 2008. The firsties provide the leadership and experience the plebes need, while the freshmen motivate the upperclassmen to work harder.

"We are the most experienced players on the team," mentioned Nott. "The freshmen were playing in the under-12 division when we were playing in the under-18. I think it is good for them to see people who have been through it for five years and can help them out."

Following graduation in May, Chavez, Nott and senior captain Marissa Limsiaco will spend a week together in Greece before reporting to Officer Basic Course. Lyndsey is slated to go to Fort Campbell in Kentucky where she will work as a shop officer in charge of mechanics. Pam and Marissa are both going to Fort Hood in Texas. Chavez is set to branch Adjutant General.

While they plan on playing tennis recreationally after graduation, there are several aspects of competitive tennis they will miss.

"I'm going to miss the girls," explained Chavez. "I am going to miss little things like practice, the Florida trips, the tournaments and spending hours and hours at the tennis center."

"I am going to miss the dual matches when you have your teammates next to you and everyone is pulling together," added Nott.