With plane tickets to California in hand, a junior team member back from abroad, and the chance to play outside this week for the first time since winter reared its ugly head, the women's tennis team eagerly awaits the beginning of its spring season.
The Jumbos have worked all winter at perfecting small aspects of their singles game and look to dominate the competition on the singles side of matches this spring. By mixing veteran players with newcomers, the Jumbos have a solid lineup, no matter who plays what position.
Senior tri-captain Jen Luten will lead the way for the Jumbos from the No. 1 spot, a slot she has held more-or-less since her freshman year.
"My individual goals are to be undefeated in the spring and to finish number one as a team and as a singles player," Luten said. "I also want to be a strong leader on the team and be a fighter on the court."
"I think Jen is strong enough right now to beat anyone she plays," coach Kate Bayard said. "She has always set up the point well with her big baseline weapons, and recently she's been working a lot on following her shots to net and finishing more points there. She's playing the best tennis I've seen her play."
Freshman Meghan McCooey will follow Luten in the No. 2 slot. The rookie netted valuable collegiate experience by playing from that position throughout the fall and is prepared to take on the Jumbos' spring schedule.
"Meghan is hitting a heavier ball than she was in the fall," Bayard said. "She has a really well-rounded game and is able to mix up spin and pace effectively. Her consistency is also a great asset. She is continuing to work on finishing more points up at net."
While the other spots in the lineup still remain somewhat up in the air, the Jumbos have a fairly good idea of who will be rounding out the middle of the lineup. Junior Andrea Cenko, who spent the fall semester abroad, has since returned and will contribute strong singles play to the Tufts ladder. A consistent force on the varsity roster since her freshman year, senior tri-captain Kylyn Deary will complement Cenko's leadership.
In addition to Deary and Cenko, senior Silvia Schmid will also bring valuable experience to the court as a Tufts veteran. Schmid saw a majority of her time at the No. 5 spot last year, and she's worked hard all fall on improving her singles game. Experienced leaders will certainly play a vital role for the Jumbos this season, as they look to stay mentally tough on the court throughout their matches.
"Our mental toughness is certainly an asset in our singles lineup this year," Bayard said. "I have been particularly impressed with the ability of this team to stay positive and focused during close matches with each other. I feel confident this mental toughness will translate over during our matches against outside competition."
Also vying for time in the singles lineup, sophomore Mari Homma and freshman Erica Miller both played singles for the Jumbos this fall and matched up as a doubles pair as well. While it is still uncertain who will play in what positions, the Jumbos have worked hard on fine-tuning their singles game across the roster.
"I would say about half the team is working on cutting down on unforced errors and making smart decisions during the point," Bayard said. "The other half of the team is working on finishing more points at net and figuring out which shots are the smart ones to come to net on."
This week will be a valuable one for the squad as it hopes to hold its first outdoor practices of the semester. The transition from an indoor court to an outdoor one can prove tricky, and the Jumbos will have to work quickly in order to be fully prepared for next week's trip out west, which will feature five dual matches in the California sun.
"This week our focus will be mainly on the adjustments needed when moving from indoors to outdoors," Bayard said. "Reading the ball outdoors is completely different from reading it indoors. Big adjustments have to be made with footwork and timing as we move outside."
The Jumbos start their season off on Monday when they take on Point Loma, followed by a Wednesday match-up with Pomona-Pitzer and a contest against Linfield at Pomona March 23. The squad will wrap up the spring break trip with two matches at Chapman University, one against the host Panthers and one against UC Santa Cruz on March 24 and 25, respectively.
