The women's tennis team put a stop to its three-game losing streak on Tuesday with a decisive 7-2 victory over NESCAC rival Connecticut College. The day was sunny with a slight breeze, and the entire team came out playing strong, losing only one match of the day, with one default.
"The match went well," senior tri-captain Jennifer Lejb said. "We were all a bit nervous going into it because it was important for our season and ranking, but it turned out to be a good day for us."
"We knew Connecticut College would be competitive after coming off of big wins and Tufts was coming off a few tough [losses]," sophomore Kylyn Deary added. "This [win] was a real confidence builder."
Confidence was only part of what the team had to gain. Pulling together the skills they have been working on all season, the Jumbos knew it was important to be in top form, and with the NESCAC Championships quickly approaching, the timing was right.
"It's been a long time since we all played well at the same time," sophomore Jennifer Luten said. "It's good, especially before NESCACs."
The day's scores reflected the team's level of play on Tuesday. In the singles, No. 1 Luten won 6-4, 7-5, No. 2 sophomore Rebecca Bram won 6-4, 6-3, No. 3 Lejb defaulted after being up 6-4, 3-0 with a recurring ankle injury, No. 4 Deary won 6-2, 6-2, No. 5 senior tri-captain Trina Spear won 6-4, 6-0, and No. 6 senior tri-captain Neda Pisheva won 6-0, 6-2.
"We all knew this was not going to be an easy match," Deary said. "Everyone played great, got the job done, and we walked off with a win."
While the team secured the victory with its five singles victories, the doubles matches were a chance for the squad to work out kinks before tournament play. The first doubles team of Luten and Deary won 9-8 (8-6), the second team of Lejb and Pisheva lost 4-8, and third team Spear and Bram won 9-8 (7-2). With two tiebreaker victories, the team showed they will be a threat in both singles and doubles play come tournament time.
"We started a bit slow in doubles," coach Doug Eng said. "[Connecticut College] plays some great doubles. [Bram and Spear] changed strategy a bit after being down 5-2 and came back to win 9-8 with the tiebreak at 7-2. We won two doubles 9-8 in tiebreaks. Then we got on a roll."
The No. 1 doubles match also highlighted the growth of its two members, Deary and Luten, who have complemented one another all season. The team saved two match points, first with a blazing shot down the line from Luten, and then with a defensive volley from Deary.
"The doubles I played in the fall are not the same I'm playing in the spring," Deary said. "Both doubles won in tie breakers. It shows we're finally starting to come together."
"We're doing well," Luten commented. "Doubles are a bit shaky, but we fought really hard, and everyone played really good singles."
Tufts finished its regular season 8-5. The team heads into this weekend's NESCAC Championships, held at Middlebury College, and will look to compete against rivals Amherst, Williams and Middlebury. While Tuesday's win had little effect on Tufts' standing in the tournament, Eng is pleased to head into this weekend with a victory.
"[The win] doesn't change much, but it does protect our seed," Eng said. "And we go into NESCACs and NCAAs after a solid win. Momentum is good and we want to build on it."
Tuesday's victory marked not only the final match of the regular season but also the final match for the team's three seniors, Lejb, Spear and Piseva. After a long career on the team, Lejb reflected on her time at Tufts.
"I think all the seniors are feeling a bit sad about this being the last dual match," Lejb said. "Then again, it's been a great four years and I personally feel like this is the end of something that was very fun and memorable."
