A car accident. A hernia. Playing lower in the lineup.
None of it fazed Barclay Gang.
The senior psychology major from Miami came into the women's tennis program in the fall of 2000 as one of the hardest hitters coach Jim Watson says he has ever seen at the Div. III level and, despite the obstacles, leaves four years later with a career singles record of 52-21.
After a stellar freshman season in which she compiled a 15-5 record playing mostly at the No. 3 spot, a car accident derailed most of Gang's sophomore year. Gang had shoulder surgery - a plate is still in her left shoulder - and didn't pick up a racket to play from June to January.
"That was really hard because in the fall when I came back I would stop by practice everyday but I didn't get to go on the trips and I didn't get to know the new girls and they didn't get to know me," Gang said. "In the spring I had to play a challenge match against everyone, so I had to prove myself to everyone."
But the hardest part, she said, was proving to herself that she could still play.
"I had a lot less feel on my left side," Gang said. "I had to relearn everything because I had no muscle memory."
"To be able to rebound from a personal tragedy like that and still contribute to the well-being of the team is amazing," coach Jim Watson said.
After getting her feet wet again with a 3-5 record when she returned in the spring, Gang rebounded with a strong junior year, which she named as her favorite year.
"Last year was the first year that I felt like we had a chance at really being one of the top teams in the country," Gang said.
The play of then-seniors Katie Nordstrom and Iffy Saeed was a big part of why the Jumbos were one of the top teams in the country.
But Gang's contributions were just as important, as she posted a stellar 20-3 singles record, primarily from the third spot. She also began to gel with doubles partner then-sophomore Neda Pisheva, as the two combined to sport a 21-9 record throughout the year.
The pair won the 2003 Middlebury Invitational, while Gang also captured the A singles title, defeating sophomore teammate Becky Bram in the finals after two hard-fought tiebreaker wins in the quarterfinals and semi-finals.
"Barclay's game has really evolved, in that she understood that you can't be all power," Watson said. "She learned to slice, her volleys improved. She used to be relatively uncomfortable at the net.
"You can't just go for winners all the time, and she realized she had to temper her game a little more, and that ultimately helped her reach the incredibly high level of success that she did."
"I definitely learned finesse a little bit," Gang said.
Despite her improved game, Gang found herself playing a spot down in the rotation this year. It couldn't have bothered her less.
"I think of the greatest things has been her ability to say, 'Hey, I'll play wherever you put me,'" Watson said. "She puts the team above herself, which is something that some don't, to be quite honest. She's beaten people above her but she said to me back in the fall, 'put me wherever you want for the well-being of the team.'"
"Barclay was a great captain, but also a true leader and friend," freshman Jen Luten, who split time between one and two singles this season, said. "She definitely made me feel welcome on the team and made my freshman experience so easy to come in to."
Gang set her example from the four spot, where she went 14-8 despite playing with a hernia.
"That abdominal injury affected her serve because every time she reached up it was painful," Watson said. "She's gone through a lot but never used it as an excuse."
"I love Tufts, and I love being an athlete at Tufts," Gang said. "I don't regret things, it's not my style."
