The women's tennis team had an up-and-down weekend at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional tournament this weekend, hosted by Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.
Tufts entered four singles teams and two doubles teams. Two singles players, sophomore Megan Gentzler and freshman Jessica Knez, both made it to the round of 16, with Tufts' top-seeded doubles team of senior co-captains Lisa Miller and Becky Bram advancing into the quarterfinals of the doubles draw.
Knez and Gentzler, both first-timers on the varsity squad, were especially impressive and, Miller feels, it bodes well for the future of the program.
"Jessica and Megan played well in their singles matches," Miller said. "We were very proud of the maturity they showed and the confidence they played with, which pulled through for them in their matches."
Knez won her first match easily (6-4, 6-2) over Conn. College junior Amanda Poe. Although she faced a tougher challenge in her second match in Bowdoin freshman Sarah D'elia, Knez was able to come out on top in the three-set match (6-0, 1-6, 10-3).
She finally succumbed to the tournament's eventual champion, Middlebury junior Amy Roche. Roche was never seriously tested and cruised to a victory, never losing more than two games in a set. Roche and her freshman doubles partner Elizabeth Emery also were the runners-up in the double draw.
Gentzler had an easy first match victory over Smith freshman Seiko Fujii, winning 6-0, 6-0 before entering a battle against Colby junior Tracy Nale. The two split the first two sets 6-3, 0-6. The final set proved to be a nail-biter, with Gentzler gritting out a 10-8 victory to advance to the round of 16.
However, Gentzler's good fortune ended there, as she was ousted from the tournament by Middlebury freshman Elizabeth Emery in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.
Middlebury posted a strong showing at the tournament, ending both Gentzler and Knez's runs. Tufts will face Middlebury on the road again on Sunday. The ITA tournament gave the Jumbos a sneak preview of what they will see this weekend.
"Middlebury is much stronger than teams we've seen so far," Gentzler said. "We play them this weekend, so it was good to get a look at the competition. We got a chance to see them, and I think everyone on our team is capable of playing them at a much higher level."
Miller and Bram were not as successful as their younger teammates in the singles draw, both getting upset in their first-round matches. Miller lost to Bowdoin sophomore Kristen Raymond (6-1, 6-4) and Bram went down to fifth-seeded junior Debbie Sharnak of Vassar 6-4, 6-2.
The senior co-captains, however, were not about to go out easily in the doubles draw. After besting sophomore Gretchen Hackman and senior Francesca Russo of Babson College (8-2) and freshmen Sarah Gould and Amanda Tramont of Trinity College (8-5), the women were pitted against some tough cross-town rivals in MIT sophomores Serena Lin and Mariah Hoover. Both teams fought hard, but Lin and Hoover got the best of the Tufts duo, ousting Miller and Bram by a score of 8-6 in the quarterfinals.
Despite the early exit, Miller was satisfied with the way she and Bram competed.
"Becky and I played well together in doubles," Miller said. "We thought that each round we improved as a team on the court and the matches have given us confidence for the season."
The other doubles team of Knez and freshman Mari Homma did not share the same success. The Tufts tandem went down in the first round of the draw to sophomore Trish Devine and freshman Jennifer Swarzkoff of Wellesley College 8-3.
Certainly there are many positives that the Jumbos can take from the weekend's results. The doubles combo of Bram and Miller and the singles play of Knez and Gentzler are undoubtedly a cause for optimism. Also, the tournament proved a strong collegiate starting point for Knez in her freshman season. The Jumbos prepare for their next match on Thursday against MIT, where Bram and Miller will have another shot at the duo that knocked them out of the tournament last weekend.
