Led by the recently awarded United States Tennis Association (USTA) New England Coach of the Year and three talented first−years joining the roster, the women's tennis team is more than excited to begin its spring season.
"We feel really good and everyone is amped and ready to go," senior tri−captain Laura Hoguet said.
The Jumbos finished their fall campaign with wins in both dual matches, each of which came by sweeping 9−0 margins against local foes MIT and Babson. But the most success came at the individual level.
Junior tri−captain Julia Browne and her doubles partner, senior tri−captain Meghan McCooey, captured their second straight Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Small College National Championship in October, while Browne also took third place in singles at the same event.
At the ITA New England Championships in mid−September, Browne and McCooey also took the regional title, and Browne added an individual championship to her list of accomplishments.
As a result of the Jumbos' strong fall season, head coach Kate Bayard was honored with a USTA Coach of the Year selection, in addition to being named the ITA Northeast Coach of the Year and NESCAC Coach of the Year. Under her guidance, Tufts has been ranked among the UTA national top 16 tennis teams for three years running.
"The way that the program has changed since my freshman year is just incredible," Hoguet said. "It's had such dramatic growth in such positive ways, and I tribute all of those changes to her."
"She's done so much for Tufts tennis," senior Erica Miller added. "It's unbelievable."
The Jumbos finished their last spring season with a final record of 10−6 (6−3 NESCAC), advancing to the semifinals of the NESCAC Championships and, for the second time in three years, the finals of the NCAA team regional.
Tufts then enjoyed a strong showing at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, which saw Julia Browne make it to the quarterfinals of the singles bracket, while she and McCooey also reached the quarters in doubles.
This spring, the Jumbos hope to put up an even stronger performance in the NESCAC Tournament, where last spring they were dispatched 5−2 in the semis by Amherst.
"We aren't required to play during our offseason, but our girls were training practically every day, both in the weight room and on the court," Miller said.
One weakness from last season that the team hopes to improve upon is the overall performance of its doubles teams. Though Tufts boasts one of the best doubles pairs in the country in Browne and McCooey, the team lacked depth in the area last year. In last year's conference semifinal defeat versus Amherst, Browne and McCooey won their doubles match, but the Jumbos could not manage a win in the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matches. The same happened as the Lord Jeffs downed Tufts in the NCAA Tournament.
But having spent most of the offseason working on the team aspect of competitive tennis, the Jumbos believe they have significantly strengthened their doubles lineup.
"Last year we had a little trouble with that," Miller said. "But we worked very hard on our doubles in the fall, and I think it's going to pan out this season."
After losing only one member, Mari Homma (LA '09), from the 2008−09 squad, the Jumbos maintain their close−knit unit from last season, which the team considers to be a huge advantage.
"Our closeness is definitely a factor in our success," Hoguet said. "We're used to being together and familiar playing with each other, which is really important even though we're technically on the court alone. We all have to work together to win a match."
"Many people don't think tennis is a team sport," Miller added. "But knowing your teammates and your partners and how they play is important to the team dynamic, and we definitely have that."
While most of the team has not changed, the Jumbos have found a boost of energy and motivation with the arrival of freshmen Lauren Hollender, Lindsay Katz and Janice Lam.
"The freshmen have added a lot of depth to the team," Hoguet said. "When we see them work really hard, it motivates the entire team to match them."
With a strong core of veterans, hard−working new players and an award−winning coach, the Jumbos are ready to tackle any challenges they may face this season. They will play their first match against Northwood on Monday, March 22 at 3 p.m. on the team's spring break trip to Florida, during which Tufts will play a grueling five matches in as many days.
