VALPARAISO | If there has been one constant in Kim Sajevic's first three years as a member of the Valparaiso University women's tennis team, it's been that nothing has stayed constant.

As the junior begins her first year as the No. 1 singles player for the Crusaders, she is playing for her third coach in as many seasons, as well as going from the most inexperienced player on the roster to the most experienced.

Sajevic is the lone holdover who participated in singles play when the Crusaders played Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament during her freshman season in 2006.

"I feel like playing against college players for the past two years, I've gotten used to the pace," Sajevic said. "I'm more confident on the court."

Sajevic broke into the singles lineup as a walk-on during her first year and was playing behind five players who had just garnered the program's first NCAA tournament bid.

The Minnesota native moved up to No. 3 singles during her sophomore year, but a semifinal defeat at the hands of IUPUI in the Mid-Continent Conference tournament ended a bitter year that involved a coaching change.

Shortly after the season ended, coach Michelle Mahoney stepped down and former Valparaiso men's player Jay Adams was hired away from Boone Grove High School to take over the team.

"It's been frustrating (playing for three different coaches)," Sajevic said. "Every new coach has their own style, but I think that Jay will be very good for the program."

Sajevic lost out on time to work with Adams, as the electrical engineering major spent her fall semester in Germany. She returned to begin work with her new coach and has settled into her role as the No. 1 singles player.

"I'm glad she's back for us," Adams said. "She's the hardest working person on the team and what she does in practice has carried over to matches."

Adams and Sajevic both admit that starting the season 1-5 has been difficult, given the program's success in the past, but that returning to the winning ways is just around the corner.

Sajevic has won her last two matches at singles and has combined with Julie Wingstrom to win their last two doubles matches.

"I think we've already made improvements since the beginning of the semester," Sajevic said. "We have a very inexperienced team, but we don't graduate anybody, so we have all season to continue to improve."