The OU women’s tennis team is young. Of the seven members on the team, two are freshmen and three are sophomores, leaving redshirt junior Peta Maree Lancaster and senior Marie-Pier Huet as the only upperclassmen on the team.

OU coach David Mullins has acknowledged that his expectations for this year’s squad are not terribly high but that there is a good foundation in place for the next few years.

“I didn’t have any grand expectations (coming into this season),” Mullins said. “I knew we were going to use this year to develop and get better and that we have lots of opportunities to knock some teams off.”

For Huet, though, this is not simply a building year. It is her last year of NCAA eligibility, her last chance at a postseason run and her last opportunity to help the team she has grown to love over the past four years.

It is only natural for the lone senior on a team of underclassmen to take on a leadership role. Huet recognizes that and is embracing the opportunity.

“She definitely has (taken on a leadership role),” Mullins said. “And it’s fun to watch. [Huet] has probably come further than any girl I’ve ever coached. She was my first recruit and came in very ill-prepared and just not having a full understanding of what she was getting into.”

Huet, a Quebec City, Canada, native, had offers from several schools across the United States to play tennis. However, after dealing with eligibility issues and getting a late recommendation to give the Oklahoma program and new head coach David Mullins a shot, Huet decided to attend OU two days before the start of the 2008 fall semester.

By the numbers, she had a very productive freshman season for Oklahoma, playing in all 23 matches, going 14-4 in doubles and 14-9 in singles, and winning the Big 12 regular season position championship at No. 2 doubles with partner Tara Eckel.

Huet, though, said she feels her freshman year was wasted on nerves.

“Back home, we don’t have any teams set up in high schools or those kinds of things,” Huet said. “So, I feel like I kind of lost my freshman year just being nervous.”

Huet continued to play a big role in 2010 and 2011. Oklahoma finished 18-6 and 19-7, respectively, in those two seasons, marking only the third time in program history that OU has had back-to-back 18-win seasons.

For her part, Huet went a combined 19-4 in Big 12 doubles competition in 2010 and won the No. 4 singles Big 12 position championship in 2011.

The senior has been solid every year and continued to play her role. That role has undoubtedly changed this year, though. Along with winning matches for the team, Huet is charged with preparing her young teammates and setting the work ethic; in short, she is supposed to be the example for the Sooners to follow.

“I don’t have a choice,” Huet said. “I try to just set the example and help them with my experiences I’ve been through. Hopefully they’ll listen, but you don’t really have a choice when it comes to being a leader.”

Huet said she has always wanted to be a leader on this team. However, she did not necessarily always have what it takes to lead by example.

The senior admits when she first arrived in Oklahoma her own work ethic left a lot to be desired. Before starting her NCAA tennis career, Huet had never had to work hard at anything. That, she said, is the biggest change in her since freshman year.

“I just learned how to work hard,” Huet said. “I’m a lot better at working harder and giving myself everything at practice. And during my matches, there’s nobody that competes harder than I do.”

The improved work ethic has paid off for the senior, as she has steadily climbed her way up Oklahoma’s roster.

This year, Huet anchors the Sooners at the No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles positions. She is playing doubles with sophomore Whitney Ritchie this year, her fifth doubles partner since arriving at OU. That is something that has kept her from gaining a high ranking in doubles competition. Huet said she does not mind that, though. She has been learning how to play for a team since arriving at Oklahoma. Now, in her senior year, she is ready to help her team out in any way possible, regardless of personal gain.

The senior knows that this is it. It’s her last year, and she wants it to be a good one not just for her individually, but for her team.

“Just enjoying my time is really my goal this year, and just making it happen,” Huet said. “If the team needs me, I can step up and be that person that gets it done.”