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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Friday, March 29, 2024

Women's Tennis | Talent, depth give Bayard high hopes as Jumbos open

    With three impact freshmen joining an experienced squad led by a pair of All-Americans, it's no wonder that women's tennis coach Kate Bayard is optimistic about the roster she has assembled this year.
    "I am anticipating that our team will be the strongest that we've had in a number of years," she said.
    Bayard will get her first look at a talent-laden squad today, when the nationally ranked No. 16 Jumbos hold their first practice of the 2009-10 season. It will mark the beginning of the abbreviated fall portion of Tufts' schedule, which includes the International Tennis Association Regional Championships later this month and out-of-conference dual matches against MIT and Babson in October.
    Junior tri-captain Julia Browne and senior tri-captain Meghan McCooey are expected to once again anchor the Jumbos' lineup. Combining to go 26-4 in dual matches out of the first and second singles spots, Browne and McCooey also teamed to form one of the best doubles tandems in the country, capturing a national title together last fall.
    But the added depth behind the Jumbos' All-American duo will be key for the team this season. Entering the mix are three first-year recruits — Lauren Hollender, Lindsay Katz and Janice Lam — who are expected to make immediate contributions.
    "I obviously won't know how they're playing right now until I actually see them, but based on my estimate of where I think they are, they'll definitely help us a lot," Bayard said. "All three of them are very strong players, and I'm anticipating they'll all get some good opportunities this year."
    Despite losing junior Hillary Rosen, who is studying abroad this fall, and graduating Mari Homma (LA '09), the Jumbos' roster is hardly short on experience. Senior Erica Miller returns after a strong season at third singles, including a thrilling three-set win over Bowdoin's Rachel Waldman to clinch a come-from-behind victory for Tufts in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Two mainstays of last year's singles lineup, junior Edwina Stewart and sophomore Jennifer LaCara, are also back, along with senior tri-captain Laura Hoguet and sophomore Nathalie Schils.
    The combination of experienced veterans and promising freshmen gives Bayard a lot to consider as she fills out her lineup behind Browne and McCooey.
    "With so many returning players and with three very solid freshmen coming in, I think we'll have more options in both singles and doubles, and also I feel we'll be a lot stronger depth-wise," Bayard said. "Last year, we proved that in the top half the lineup, we could beat anyone. This year, with the returning players having more experience and the incoming freshmen mixing things up, I think we'll be stronger."
    How best to utilize the team's talent remains to be seen. In the process of establishing a stable lineup this fall, Bayard likely will mix and match much as she did last year, when eight different players were used in the fourth, fifth and sixth singles spots and 16 different combinations were used at second and third doubles.
    "Last year we did mix it up more than normal, and sometimes, that's just what we have to do to find a lineup to win a match," Hoguet said. "Our team has been raised under the mentality that you go out there every day ready to go — it doesn't matter where you play. Wherever you are, you try your hardest and trust that the coaches are making the right decision."
    Even Tufts' prolific first doubles pairing could be reshuffled. Bayard said that while Browne and McCooey most likely will play together at the upcoming ITA Regional Championships, she is not opposed to splitting them up later this season if it strengthens the Jumbos' overall doubles lineup.
    "I loved playing with Meghan all year last year — we did really well, and our games matched up well," Browne said. "But we do have three new freshmen this year, so we have to see if we can get an even better combination — we might even get two better combinations by splitting us up. I'm very confident that whatever Coach picks will be the best thing for the team."