The Jumbos finished the spring season with a 12-7 overall record, buttressed by a solid 6-2 conference mark, thanks to the strength of a solid core of young players, notably freshman Julia Browne and sophomore Meghan McCooey, who will both be competing in the NCAA Singles Championships in Saint Peter, Minn. this weekend.
The team was short-handed all season, forced to fill out the six singles and three doubles spots with only seven members on the roster. But the Jumbos still managed to rack up a successful spring.
"I was really proud of how those seven just worked extra hard and were extremely committed," coach Kate Bayard said. "They were a wonderful group, and it was impressive how tight they became and supportive they were of one another."
McCooey and Browne went a combined 21-6, anchoring the top of Tufts' singles lineup and sharing time at the No. 1 and No. 2 singles slots.
"Julia showed a new level of sustained focus," Bayard said. "She tuned everything out, and stayed completely in the zone. I think Meghan had a big mental breakthrough halfway through the season where she got to the point [where] she became confident every time she stepped out there. I think overall, this team in particular showed a new level of hard work in both the offseason and season and saw the work pay off."
At second doubles, sophomores Erica Miller and McCooey had a nine-match winning streak before falling to Wellesley April 15. Meanwhile, at third doubles, the pairing of freshmen Edwina Stewart and Browne won all 10 matches they played together.
"We were strong in doubles all the way through the lineup," Bayard said. "Overall, everyone on the team became confident at net and made huge strides in awareness. They became more effective in recognizing offensive opportunities and capitalizing on them, and better at neutralizing in defensive situations. They were able to differentiate between offense and defense and select shots. So in both singles and doubles, that was huge. Certainly, having a strong doubles [lineup] helps a lot, since they play first and it sets the tone for the match."
Tufts opened its spring season in Florida over spring break with two losses to upper-division opponents. But the Jumbos, ranked No. 12 nationally at the time, went on to win six consecutive matches, beating every squad they faced ranked below them. They fell twice, however, to both Amherst and Wellesley during the season. Amherst, ranked either No. 2 or 3 nationally for the duration of the spring, defeated Tufts 6-3 in the NESCAC semifinals April 26 and 7-2 during the regular season April 8.
"It's always disappointing to lose, but against Amherst, you can't be that disappointed when you try as hard as you can to win," senior co-captain Andrea Cenko said. "Some days they're better than you, and some days they're not. Those matches could've gone either way."
Possibly the toughest opponent the Jumbos faced was No. 12 Bowdoin, who ended up defeating Amherst in the NCAA Regional tournament May 4. Tufts, which ends its season ranked No. 13 nationally, had the advantage of playing the Polar Bears
in the Gantcher Center, and won every match in straight sets except at first doubles, where Bowdoin pulled out a 9-7 victory.
"Beating Bowdoin 8-1 was a pretty huge win for us," Bayard said. "The team really learned how to stay in the moment, and our biggest successes came when we were able to stay focused on each and every point."
"Beating Bowdoin was definitely a standout in the spring season," Cenko added. "But I was proud of just how well we performed throughout the season. Every person on the team stood up at a different point in each match."
Tufts lost again to Wellesley 5-4, this time in the second round of the NCAA Regional tournament May 3, a rematch of last year's second-round contest that saw the Jumbos prevail 5-3. The loss closed out the Jumbos' team season and marked the last match of Cenko's collegiate career, the lone graduating senior on the team.
"She's been a sense of calm her whole four years," Bayard said. "She's got a great way about her. She's just very consistent and steady as a person, and in situations when others might be stressed, she brings a sense of calm and a sense of humor, so we'll miss her."
Cenko, meanwhile, praised the efforts of her teammates.
"Meghan McCooey definitely stood out," she said. "She had a huge mental breakthrough. Julia stepped up and played No. 1. Erica was playing unbelievable at three. At five, [junior Mari Homma] was great, and same at six with [sophomore co-captain Laura Hoguet] and Edwina. Everybody pulled their weight [this season]."
