By Kristin Pratt
ncataggies.com contributor

The season that junior Nianna Henry has on the tennis court this spring will turn on her left ankle. 

Henry, who is looking forward to an exciting and productive season with what she calls "one of the best women's tennis teams A&T has had overall," will be looking to stay injury free in 2012.   

"I'm very excited, and I'm really anxious for this week to be over," Henry said about the North Carolina A&T women's tennis season opener on Friday, Jan. 20 against Elon at 2:30 p.m., at the Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center.  "It can't come fast enough." 

Part of her excitement stems from the fact that Henry hasn't seen much playing time for the past year, after fracturing her ankle in two places in the first match of the season last spring, and she's very ready for the opportunity to compete again for the Aggies.

"It seems like forever, but it was just last season," she said. "I fell, and rolled it, and fractured it in two places.  I just had to get a cast and stay off it."

Both Henry and tennis head coach James Dunwoody hope that she will not be bitten by the injury bug again this year. 

"She has a possibility of being a really good tennis player if she doesn't catch the injury bug," Dunwoody said, explaining that Henry's left ankle injury has severely limited her playing time.

Henry added that she's nearly back to full strength, which is good news for the tennis team. 

"It's really strong.  It's not 100 percent, but it's strong enough to compete without too much pain," she said.  "Every day, [the trainers and I] do strengthening exercises and exercise to get it loose so it can move.  When it gets swollen, the mobility goes away."

But the ankle is not the only health factor that Dunwoody and Henry have to keep in mind this season.

Henry also has Sickle Cell Anemia.  Sickle Cell Anemia is a hereditary disease in which red blood cells form an abnormal shape, looking more like a crescent or sickle.  These sickle-shaped red blood cells deliver less oxygen to the body's tissues, which can result in fatigue, breathlessness, rapid heart rate, and other symptoms.   About 1 in 12 African Americans has the sickle cell trait, and every A&T student-athlete has to be tested for the trait.

Dunwoody added that he has to keep an eye on her for those medical reasons as well. 

"You've got to watch her like a hawk," he said.  "Sometimes it might appear like she's low on energy, but it is what it is.  She ends up quicker than everybody else.  She's cautious about it." 

For Henry, the disease is manageable.  

"It's not difficult.  I have to manage my breathing and be extra careful of taking care of myself," she said.  "I have to stay hydrated and not push myself too far." 

Dunwoody is looking to get a lot of production from Henry this season. She is also a co-captain on the team this spring.  Henry is slated to be fifth in the singles lineup, and will be paired with sophomore Kimberly Stalling for doubles play.

"I'm hoping that the training room will stay on top of her and put her in a situation where she can go without any injuries this year," Dunwoody added.  "She's an extremely talented doubles player.  She has a very good serve, and she can be very productive if she can stay away from injuries."  

Henry is also expecting to have a productive season this year, especially with Stalling in doubles.

"Kim and I have prepared for it since last year," she said.  "We're already in sync and know what each other will do, so it's pretty easy for us [to prepare]."