Lady Raiders Set to Get Fall Campaign Underway

Middle Tennessee will be relying on a roster full of new names in year No. 2 of the head coach Rachael Moore era as the team begins fall play on Friday in Myrtle Beach, SC. Atop the list of new names is Tamara Munsch-Akers. The name should be more than vaguely familiar. Munsch-Akers is actually the top returning player on the team, but she was married over the summer, thus the name change.

Moore isn't expecting any change in the way her senior captain produces. Last year, Munsch-Akers was the team's leader in virtually every category. She had the top scoring average on the team (77.5) and was the team's top finisher in every tournament but one.

"(Munsch-Akers) has been playing really well this year," Moore said. "Being the captain of our team, she has to be a positive example, both on the golf course (off).

"She knows that she is the one who has to lead us to the next level. I'm really excited about the way she's been playing early this year."

Behind Munsch-Akers are a pair of junior Tennessee-natives in Amanda Harter (Soddy Daisy High School) and Kristin Lynch (Tullahoma High School).

Lynch begins the season as the No. 2 player on the roster. After a freshman year of learning what playing at the Division I level is all about, Lynch improved dramatically last season. This year her play has continued to improve and Moore is expecting Lynch to be a major contributor.

"Lynch was a pleasant surprise for us last year," Moore said. "After her first year just getting experience, she stepped up. I'm expecting her to step up even more for us this year."

Harter will hold down the team's No. 5 spot to start the year and she comes into the season with a full head of steam. Moore said Harter was the player who had perhaps the strongest summer, which was highlighted by winning the consolation bracket at the State Pro/Am in August.

"Harter had a great summer, so she's coming in ready to go and I'm counting on her to keep that momentum going," Moore said.

Sandwiched in between Lynch and Harter are a pair of freshmen, Jenny Kim and Maggie McGill who will be the team's No. 3 and No. 4 golfers to begin the year. In Kim and McGill, Moore feels she has a pair of steals who will be able to contribute immediately.

"Both of those players have been wonderful assets to our team," Moore said. "Both have great golf swings with tremendous potential and I'm very confident that both will be able to help our team from day one."

As Moore continues to build up the program, she's raised the bar for this year's squad to continue along the path towards becoming one of the Sun Belt's top teams. This year, Moore is looking for the team to finish in the top five at every tournament. A goal the team accomplished in six of its 11 tournaments last year.

"We definitely want to finish in the top five at each tournament," Moore said.

Moore will get a glimpse of where her team stands after this weekend's Unlimited Potential/Bay Tree tournament in Myrtle Beach, SC. It's the nations largest tournament with 35 schools participating, among them six teams from the SBC.

"It'll be nice to find out where we are, because this tournament has some of the top teams from around the country and it has some of our top teams from the conference," Moore said.

Sophomore Grace Holmes and junior Kemmerlee Pennington round out the Blue Raider roster and provide depth for Middle Tennessee.

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