Although the women's tennis team got off to a rusty start, it soon picked up where it left off in the fall, opening the spring season with a 7-2 victory over Brandeis University. It was a beautiful day to open the season, with ideal tennis conditions. Coach Doug Eng was confident for a victory on Wednesday, but admitted prior to the match that the team was expecting a competitive Brandeis squad.
"The match went well," Eng said. "Brandeis is playing very well right now and they are a good first match for us."
Surprisingly, the two losses on the day came from the number one single player, sophomore Jennifer Luten, who lost 6-3, 6-4, and the number one doubles team of sophomore Kylyn Deary and Luten, who lost 8-5. Luten faced a challenging opponent, and coach Eng was certain she'd be back in "superstar form" for next week.
"Her opponent was extremely steady but she also mixed up her shots really well and Jen was just unable to really get into a rhythm," senior tri-captain Neda Pisheva said. "But I have confidence that she will step up when we face Amherst and Emory."
Despite the Jumbos' confidence, the Judges started strong and won in two upsets. After that, however, the Tufts women settled down and took control of the remaining matches. The No. 2 doubles team of senior tri-captain Jennifer Lejb and Pisheva won their match in convincing manner 8-2, as did the number three doubles team of junior Rebecca Bram and senior Ashley Weisman. Eng was pleased with the way his doubles teams performed.
"First and second doubles went terrific," Eng said. "Becky Bram and Ashley Weisman are a great new combo at third doubles. It was great to have Becky back as she was abroad in the fall."
The singles matches, however, highlighted the team's shaky start. Despite winning five of six, four of the seeds needed seven games for victory. Number two singles seed Bram won 7-6, 6-2, number four seed senior Trina Spear won 6-0, 7-5, number five seed freshman Alana Ackerman won 6-3, 7-5, and number six seed Pisheva won 6-4, 7-5 after going down 1-5 in the second set. Third seed sophomore Kylyn Deary won in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, and 6-0, defeating the same opponent from her earlier doubles match.
"I'm not sure this match was a good indication of the rest of our season," Pisheva said. "There are some things we still need to work on...but we came out with a positive attitude and were able to bounce back after having a few mental lapses."
Despite a strong showing on the day, Brandeis showed there are no easy matches and Lejb said the team has room for improvement.
"We weren't as focused as we should have been, and I think some of us underestimated Brandeis," Lejb said. "But it was a good first match of the season to get the kinks out."
"It shows that we really can't take any team too lightly," Pisheva said.
With only four games remaining in the season the team will have to remain focused if it hopes to make a strong run at the NESCAC Championships in May. But Eng knows what the team has to develop, and is confident that they will be prepared.
"I think we need to dominate more cross-court rallies, work on patience and consistency from the baseline, second serves, and some extra agility work," Eng said. "We expect to peak in a month at the NCAA playoffs."
The squad currently has a cumulative record of 7-2 after a 6-2 fall season and will look to continue its success at home next week, as it will play host to Amherst College on Tuesday and then Emory University on Friday. Emory and Amherst are ranked first and second in the country, respectively, and should provide a real test for the team. Tufts women's tennis is currently ranked 14th in the nation.
