After going 3-10 last season with a young tennis team in her first season as Emmaus girls tennis coach, you wouldn't blame Kelly Musselman for not expecting too much out of her team in 2012.

Well, surprise.

Musselman's squad is now 7-3 on the season opening a lot of eyes, including those of their coach.

"I'll be honest, our goal this season was to win more matches than last year," admitted Musselman. "At first, we were surprised when the wins started to add up. We now have more confidence in our ability and we are focusing on continually improving, so the wins don't stop."

The young team that struggled in Musselman's first year is growing up and has five seniors, but there are a lot of good players who are still working their way through high school and have plenty of tennis matches left to play.

"There isn't one returning player on the team who hasn't improved since our first practice together over a year ago in August of 2011," said Musselman, who is enthusiastic about her team's growth. "One of the coolest things about coaching is watching the progression of players' games. Each of the girls has improved in many different ways; some hit harder, some have harnessed their power and others are using a variety of shots in their game."

Emmaus hasn't become a tough team in local girls' tennis just because they gained some experience. They've gotten better because they've chosen to work hard and are committed to not just winning more matches than they did in 2011. Many of the girls played USTA and spent time together at tennis camps during the offseason, which has increased their level of play.

Catherine "Cat" Garrity, who is now a junior is a good example of players who have stepped up their game this season. Last season, Garrity was a doubles player, but has worked her way into playing singles matches for the Lady Hornets.

"She worked extremely hard on her game to put herself into the singles lineup this season and she is doing really well with that transition," said Musselman of Garrity's progress.

Another young player who is garnering attention and is playing in doubles matches as a sophomore is Amy Yang.

"Amy came back this August with more control of her hard-hitting shots. As a result, she is playing doubles this year and doing very well," said Musselman.

The Lady Hornets take on a winless Dieruff team on the road Thursday and then travel to play Stroudsburg Monday before returning to LVC play at home against Central Catholic next Tuesday. The hard work and confidence could make Emmaus a dark horse for the LVC Tournament opening October 1.

"We've learned that being successful starts with having a positive attitude and that we always have a chance at a "W" when we step out on the court," Musselman said. "We just have to work hard to get it."