POULSBO — Looking to draw momentum from a 2005 campaign that saw the Lady Vikes finish one match out from being undefeated, the 2006 girls tennis squad is hitting the court with a purpose.

The goal: repeat success. The challenge: learn a new system.

Terry Grimm steps into the head coaching role of the program in her first head coaching spot at North Kitsap, replacing Trish Olson who led the squad for more than a decade.

While the team lost a substantial crew of five leaders last season, Grimm has inherited the most depth that the program has seen since before Olson began.

“With the new girls, it’s looking like we’ll be a pretty deep team this year,” senior captain Brittany Meek said of the team’s 40-player roster.

Meek is one of five seniors on the team who have been playing together for several years. With that cohesive experience, the crew should form a solid nucleus for the team to build on, Grimm said.

“We’ve all been playing together — a lot of us came up from the JV team our freshman year and have been working together (since),” Meek said. “”Our communication skills are pretty good on the court.”

Communication will be key as the team attempts to gel in a new format under a new coach.

It will also be vital to the formation and success of NK’s doubles teams as the slate is more or less clean this year. Kearney Bangs is the lone returner from a doubles team that took NK to state and finished in fifth place in 2005. This year, she said she is looking to return with a new partner at her side.

“The desire to go back to state and to motivate another teammate to go with me,” senior captain Bangs said the determination that last year’s experience is providing early this year. “For the team, last year we were undefeated pretty much, so I’d like to carry that out through this year.”

Thus far, things aren’t quite settled in terms of the team’s line up. Grimm is still juggling girls trying to find the formula that utilizes the strengths of each player.

After starting out the season with back-to-back losses to Bainbridge and Olympia, North picked up its first win, 4-1, over Olympic March 20.

Britt Seaberg was once again a force as North’s top singles player, she defeated Oly’s Jamee Paluay 6-0, 6-2. But it was the Lady Vikings doubles teams that carried the team to victory Monday.

Bangs and Joanna Kaiserman defeated their Trojan opponents in shut out fashion, 6-0, 6-0. Meek and Sarah Kiesinger defeated their foe 6-1, 6-4 and Brandy Meek and Lucie Pariotti hung on to defeat Jill Groulik and Chelsea Harrington 7-6, 6-2.

“My aspirations for the team are to build character and make team players out of them even though its an individual sport,” Grimm said.