Coming off a disappointing showing at the Fab 7 Tournament over spring break, the women's tennis team was keen on having a strong start to their spring schedule back in the northeast.
That's exactly what the Jumbos were able to do, taking care of No. 24 Wellesley to record a 9-0 victory at home in an impressive display of the team's depth.
"After a few really tough losses over spring break, it was so great to beat a nationally ranked team 9-0," junior Samantha Gann said, "I'm really proud of the way all of my teammates stepped up to the line on each point."
Last week, the Jumbos struggled in Georgia as they went to compete in Emory University's invite-only tournament where they faced four tough opponents, beginning with the hosts. They lost all four matches, including three that went the distance, as the Jumbos dropped their contests with Sewanee, Washington and Washington & Lee by identical scores of 5-4.
The Jumbos searched for improvements after the trip, tweaking the lineup until coach Kate Bayard settled on senior Lauren Hollender on first doubles with junior Shelci Bowman, senior co-captain Lindsay Katz in second doubles with Gann, and senior co-captain Janice Lam and sophomore Sophie Schonfeld playing in the third spot.
The pairings did not disappoint, enabling the Jumbos to roll over Wellesley up and down the ladder.
"I think it was a really solid win for the team," Gann said. "We all came out with new doubles partners. We were fired up and ready to play tough."
Katz and Gann swept aside their opponents 8-0 while Lam and Schonfeld were nearly as impressive with an 8-1 win. The first doubles match, featuring Hollender and Bowman, was the closet match of all, going all the way to 9-7.
"We have been working hard, trying out new doubles teams, and just seeing what will give us the edge over other teams," Lam said.
The singles action was equally impressive. Katz played first singles, with Gann, Bowman, Schonfeld, Hollender, and Lam playing second through sixth respectively.
Katz and Bowman each won with an impressive 6-0, 6-1 score, while Schonfeld gave up only one game with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Wellesley's Catherine Matulis. Gann had the toughest singles match of the day with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Sojung Lee. Overall, singles play went remarkably well, as fewer than 20 games were surrendered in all six matches.
"Our match against Wellesley couldn't have gone better," Lam said. "The new doubles teams worked great together and everyone stayed focused in their singles matches. I am excited to see our team excel and to see what we can accomplish this season."
The Jumbos' win over Wellesley brings their record up to 3-4 overall.
"I'm super proud of how we picked ourselves up after our tough loses over spring break," freshman Catherine Worley said. "I definitely feel confident that our momentum will transfer to our upcoming matches against Colby and Hamilton."
