The women's tennis team looks to improve on its 5-2 fall record this spring, and the cavalry's coming back from Europe to help it do so.
The team that takes the court this spring will look very different than the fall squad that was ranked 27th in the nation and finished in eighth place out of 22 at the New England Championships in October.
Juniors Kylyn Deary, Jennifer Luten and Stephanie Ruley have all returned from studying abroad during the fall, and all are likely to crack the top six. [ed. note: Deary is also a men's tennis writer for the Daily.] The team will have to continue without senior co-captain Lisa Miller and sophomore Megan Gentzler, who are both sidelined with season-ending injuries.
"We are all pumped about being back, we have a great new coach, and awesome team dynamics," Luten said. "We just want to elevate the level of play and bring what we can to the team."
During the fall, the team defeated MIT, Smith and NYU, in addition to NESCAC rivals Colby and Trinity. The squad's two losses came at the hands of Bowdoin and Middlebury.
"The outcome of the fall season was outstanding considering there were only two returning varsity players on the team," senior co-captain Becky Bram said. "I was very impressed with how everyone stepped up and played up to their position."
In the absence of some veterans, several young players distinguished themselves throughout the fall season.
"Some of our sophomores stepped up and rose to the challenge, and our two freshmen had amazing starts," sophomore Lani Ackerman said. "Besides the actual playing, we have a great team chemistry this year, and hopefully that will play a role in beating some of the tough teams in the upcoming season."
"They are a great asset to the team, "Luten said. "With Lisa Miller out this season, they add depth and fill in some of the holes that are missing from our seniors leaving last year. I think that they will definitely play better this season with the fall experience under their belts."
The team will need these players to continue their contributions with the loss of Miller, who went 5-2 at the No. 2 spot during the fall, and Gentzler, who filled in the middle of the lineup and finished with a 5-6 record.
"It's going to be tough with both Lisa and Megan out, not only because they played key positions in the first part of the season but [because of] the enthusiasm and energy they brought to the court," Ackerman said. "This just means everyone else is going to have to move up in their positions and be prepared for strong opponents."
During their midseason break, the Jumbos trained rigorously in order to stay in peak condition, working with a trainer three days a week and getting court time six days a week.
With the return of key players from abroad, the squad marches toward the second half of the season with confidence spurred from a resolute work ethic and a deep lineup.
"The team is pulling together, and we are looking stronger than ever going into the spring season," Bram said. "We have been practicing harder than the team has in my past three years and the hard work is definitely showing through in how well everyone is playing."
The spring season kicks off with a flurry of activity, as the Jumbos will play three matches in as many days, starting with their Mar. 24 contest against Pomona-Pitzer College, which will take place at Washington & Lee University. During the next two days the Jumbos will match up against No. 2 Washington & Lee and No. 4 Gustavus Adolphus, with both matches at the Virginia Military Institute. The three teams are unknown opponents, having never appeared on the Jumbos' schedule.
"It will definitely be a challenge to play our first three matches so close together, but it will show us what level our fitness is at and where we need to be by the height of the season," Ackerman said. "I see our trip as a way to play a lot of competitive matches to get us back into the swing of things."
Looking further ahead, the squad will have two key road matches against highly ranked NESCAC rivals Amherst and Williams colleges in April, which will be among the team's toughest matches. The two teams have won or split each of the five NESCAC titles since 2001, and finished one-two in the fall's New England Championships, with host Amherst taking first.
"We've learned over the past semester or two not to take any team lightly," Ackerman said. "Yes, we have our rivals and the teams we desperately want to beat, but we know that each team is equally dangerous and we're going to take it one match at a time."
