2008 record: 1-11 Central California Conference
Head coach: Jeff Hayes (5th)
Coaching staff: Bryan Davis
Top returners: Amandeep Uppal, Kristen Knudsen, Mallory Nordahl, Rajvir Uppal and Emily Nelson.
Key newcomers: Britney Leon.
Outlook: In 2009, the Pride just want to be competitive. They return after a long season in which they won only one conference match and hope to be enough of a challenge to finish behind the expected top two teams of Turlock and Merced. It looks like a lot depends on Amandeep Uppal, the returning No. 1 singles player. “Her leadership and dedication,” Hayes said, “will be key to this season’s success and likely to the success of future seasons as there are quite a few underclassmen looking to her for guidance.” Uppal leads a group that includes Knudsen, Nordahl, Leon, Rajvir Uppal and Nelson, as the players round out the top six singles player.
Key match: All league games, other than against Merced and Turlock, should be important. Those two squads are favored to finish at the top of the league standings, allowing the others — Golden Valley, Los Banos, Buhach Colony, Atwater and Pitman — to fight for the No. 3 position.