Tuesday's rain did not dampen the women's tennis team's winning efforts, as the No. 27 Jumbos topped the Brandeis Judges 6-3 inside the Gantcher Center.
The win advanced Tufts' record to 6-5 on the season, ended a three-game losing skid, and gave the squad its first win of the second half of the season.
"We knew that Brandeis was not a team to take lightly," said junior Kylyn Deary, who is also a writer for the Tufts Daily. "Everyone stepped up and played either their singles or doubles matches with tons of heart. It's hard when we have a few key players injured, but we are such a tight-knit team that everyone is willing to step it up and play the big points."
"It definitely felt good to get a win today," senior co-captain Becky Bram said. "We felt like we were in a bit of a slump losing our first three matches, but we turned things around today."
After losing all nine doubles matches in three contests at the Fab Five Tournament, held at Washington & Lee University on Mar. 24-26, the squad picked up two of its three doubles matches on Tuesday and narrowly lost the third. Playing in the No. 2 slot, Bram and junior Stephanie Ruley crushed their Brandeis opponents, senior Shani Reich and sophomore Ana Katz, 8-3.
"Steph and I were very happy about our win today," Bram said. "The team we played was solid, but we played better. We have been practicing more together recently and it showed with our communication and chemistry on the court."
At third doubles, sophomore Andrea Cenko and freshman Mari Homma captured an 8-5 victory for the Jumbos over junior Jenicka Hornung and freshman Gabrielle Helfgott. At No. 1, Deary and junior Jen Luten fell in a tight match, losing 9-7 to junior Jenn Krueger and sophomore Colleen Donnelly.
"We have definitely been spending a lot of time since we've returned from Virginia working specifically on the doubles," Bram said. "Everyone is playing better and smarter out there. Our doubles losses in the Fab Five were to the top teams in the country. Those losses were not as much disappointments as learning experiences. Coach [Kate] Bayard knows we have the talent to beat those top teams, which is why she has been working with us on different strategies and doubles techniques to get us to that level."
The Jumbos singles players also put forward a strong performance, taking four of six matches. At No. 2, Bram overwhelmed Donnelly, 6-3, 6-1. Playing at No. 4 singles, Deary added to her doubles win with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Helfgott. To round out the bottom of the singles lineup, junior Silvia Schmid won 6-4, 6-2 against Katz at No. 5 while Cenko captured the Jumbos' final win at the sixth slot, downing Hornung 6-1, 6-2.
Luten dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision to Krueger at the No. 1 singles spot, and Brandeis captured its only other win when senior Shani Reich pounded out a three-set win over Ruley, 4-6, 6-2, 10-7.
Due to the inclement weather, the squad was forced to compete indoors on the Gantcher Center courts, which are noticeably faster than the outdoor courts, but the move inside did not faze the Jumbos.
"We practiced indoors [on Monday] because we knew that it would rain," Deary said. "We've been transitioning to different courts the entire spring, so it wasn't really a concern for us; we knew what we had to do."
With this victory, the Jumbos are back above .500 on the season going into two matches next week against key NESCAC rivals, both ranked nationally in the top 10. Tufts will visit No. 3 Amherst on Tuesday, followed by another road contest against the No. 8 Williams Ephs. The Jumbos know both opponents well, as both attended the Fab Five Tournament as well, and are confident in their chances.
"Any win is a morale booster and we are looking forward to the big teams next week," Deary said. "This is a good thing for us going into next week. Both teams are good, but having seen them in Virginia, I know we can beat them. All the teams in the NESCAC are good but definitely beatable; no one is a powerhouse this year. Although both teams are ranked above us, Amherst lost two great players and Williams is really young team."
Bram feels the Jumbos' efforts in practice will carry them through the upcoming competitions.
"Next week's matches will be tough, but we are ready," Bram said. "We have been working hard in practice and everyone is playing well. We plan on approaching these next matches like any other match - with the confidence of knowing that we can beat any team out there."
