TIFTON — After beginning the year with an 0-7 record, the Abraham Baldwin Fillies tennis team will try to bounce back when it travels to Tucson, Ariz., to take part in the NJCAA national tournament.

The Fillies are hoping that bounce back will carry them into a shot at being one of the top 10 teams in the nation.

The tournament will begin Saturday and will continue until May 11 at the Randolph Tennis Center in Tucson.

It will be a young squad that Fillies head coach Alan Kramer takes to the nationals. Only one player, former Berrien High Rebellette Jackla Dean, will be making a return trip to Arizona from last year’s team.

“We certainly have a young team this year,” Dean said. “But, I think it will be an awesome experience for us.”

Dean said she did “not feel superior” to her teammates, because she will be the only one that knows what the national experience will entail.

But, “I hope they know they can look at me for help, since I went out there last year,” the ABAC sophomore said.

Dean and her teammates finished 14th last year. Dean does not want a repeat of that performance.

“We really expected to finish in the top 10 last year, but we ended up 14th,” said Dean. “I am not playing tennis anymore after this year, so this is my last shot. I definitely think we can get a top 10 finish this year.”

That is also the hope of her coach.

“(A top 10 finish), that’s our goal and it’s realistic,” said Kramer.

The latest national rankings bear Dean and Kramer out.

ABAC is currently ranked 10th in the country. One spot ahead of the Fillies is a Florida Community College team the Fillies have a 1-2 record on the year against. That Jacksonville school has two 6-3 wins over the Fillies, while ABAC owns a 5-4 victory in the series.

The Fillies also have wins over several schools ranked below them, including 13th-ranked Itawamba (Miss.) Community College; 14-ranked Meridian (Miss.) Community College; and 16th-ranked Central Alabama Community College.

“We know we can beat them, so we should have some good seedings,” Dean said.

Individually, freshman Kedi Magakgala is ABAC’s No. 1 player. The Region XVII Most Valuable Player is currently ranked 15th nationally in singles.

Moultrie native Lindsay Jacobs is ranked 55th in singles nationally.

Brooke Anglin is ranked 106th and Cassie Burke comes in at 108th. Dean is ranked 112th and Ocilla’s Brittney Bowden is ranked 115th.

In doubles, Magakgala and Jacobs are the nation’s No. 8 team, while Burke and Dean are 37th.

While a lot of his team may not have high individual rankings, Kramer has stressed the Fillies have succeeding as a team this season and he hopes that can continue.

“It just depends on what they want to do,” said Kramer. “They will have to compete as a team and play hard.”

ABAC’s 0-7 start also has played a part in the Fillies’ current success.

“It’s no secret our philosophy has always been with the women, as well as the men, to play the top competition in the Southeast, that includes four-year schools,” said Kramer. “I know it is a cliché, but what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. That’s has been evident this year with the girls, they have gotten stronger.”

Kramer shows an obvious pride when he talks about the 2007 Fillies.

“They have been on the road a lot, but they have not let it affect their play on the court or their work in the classroom,” said Kramer.

“They are having final exams this week in school. Next week will be our finals on the tennis court.”