The women's tennis team rolled to two more victories over the weekend to improve its record to 4-1 in the NESCAC and 8-3 overall. Tufts pulled out a 5-2 win at Brandeis on Saturday, a day after defeating Bowdoin 8-1 at the Gantcher Center.
The Jumbos, ranked No. 12 nationally, demonstrated the strength of the bottom of their lineup in their matchup with Brandeis, which was their first outdoor match in New England. The team lost at both first singles and first doubles but won all five of the other completed matches.
Brandeis freshman Rachel Rosman paired with senior Colleen Donnelly to take the match at first doubles over Tufts junior Mari Homma and senior co-captain Andrea Cenko, 8-3. Rosman followed by winning her match at first singles over freshman Julia Browne, Browne's first loss of the season.
"She played a really smart, really good match," Browne said. "I was very off, but the team pulled through ... It just goes to show that every person has an equally important role on the team. Playing anywhere, every position is worth one point."
Tufts rallied back after the two losses with an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles from sophomore Meghan McCooey and freshman Erica Miller.
"We played doubles first and went up 2-1, which was big," McCooey said. "It was a confidence booster going into singles."
McCooey and Miller displayed resilience in their respective singles matches after falling behind early. McCooey dropped the first set to Donnelly 2-6 before rebounding to take the final two sets, giving up only four more combined games.
"I think it was really mental focus," McCooey said of her comeback. "My opponent had kind of a fast-paced game. She hit the ball really hard, so it took a while to get adjusted and start to play my game."
Miller, playing at third singles, also got off to a dubious start. After losing the first set, Miller bounced back to take the match 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. Cenko clinched the victory for Tufts at fourth singles. In the first set, Cenko earned a late break and carried the momentum into the second set to earn the 7-5, 6-2 victory.
On Friday, Tufts squared off against Bowdoin in its home opener, which was moved indoors to Gantcher Center due to rain. Last year, Tufts visited an undefeated Bowdoin squad and lost 7-2 after dropping all three doubles matches. But this year, the Jumbos had the advantage of playing on their own indoor courts.
"It was nice to play at home," McCooey said. "We're used to the Gantcher courts."
The national No. 15 Polar Bears entered on an eight-match winning streak, which the Jumbos promptly snapped decisively. Browne made quick work of her opponent at first singles, winning 6-0, 6-0. It was her second shutout win in three matches.
"I was extremely focused - probably the most focused I've ever been during a match," Browne said. "I just played really smart, and everything was clicking. We were at home, and there were a lot of fans cheering, but the whole team played great. We won all six of our singles matches and just lost a tight doubles match."
McCooey pulled out a 7-5, 6-4 victory, giving her six consecutive singles victories. Although it did not affect the outcome of the match, Cenko and Homma suffered another loss at first doubles. Both players had better luck at singles, however, where they went a combined 3-0 in their matches. The pair of Browne and freshman Edwina Stewart won both of their matches at third doubles.
Tomorrow, the Jumbos travel to Amherst, the nation's second-ranked team. Last year at Gantcher, Amherst edged out Tufts 5-4 on the strength of the Lord Jeffs' singles play. Browne and McCooey both beat ranked Bowdoin players at first and second singles, and they may have to do the same against Amherst to give Tufts a chance.
"We're all really excited," Browne said. "They're always a tough match, but we have the momentum going for us, and we should be able to pull it off."
"It will be the toughest match yet, but we have every reason to be confident," McCooey added. "We've been playing really well as a team and look forward to the competition."
