There is no question the competition is stiff.
With four of the country's top 10 teams coming from the NESCAC, this year's NESCAC women's tennis tournament will no doubt be a close one. Four of the nation's top ten teams - No. 2 Middlebury, No. 3 Williams, No. 5 Amherst and No. 6 Bowdoin - along with No. 19 Tufts and No. 29 Trinity will all be competing this weekend for the NESCAC Championship and an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
The NESCAC Tournament has been a two-horse race between Amherst and Williams since its inception in 2001, as Williams took home the gold from 2001 to 2003, shared it with Amherst in 2004, while Amherst took over as lone champion in 2005.
As the fifth seed, the Jumbos earned themselves a date with the fourth-seeded Ephs today at 1 p.m., a team they have yet to face off against this season.
"I think it's a good thing we are playing a team we have not seen," coach Kate Bayard said. "It makes it more exciting."
"I think we are lucky to draw Williams first round because we have not seen them yet this year," senior tri-captain Steph Ruley said. "The last time we played them [in 2006] we had a very close match, losing 5-4."
Following the conclusion of the match, No. 3-seeded Amherst will square off against the sixth-seeded Bantams. The two top seeds, No. 1 Middlebury and No. 2 Bowdoin, both earning first round byes.
Although the Jumbos have an abysmal track record against the Ephs, having gone 0-10 since 1999, they have dropped four out of the past five matches 5-4, a testament to the Jumbos' ability to hang with Williams. During those five losses Tufts compiled a 5-6 doubles record, something it will have to work on to get past the Ephs this time around.
"Our biggest challenge has to be Williams' depth and their doubles," senior tri-captain Kylyn Deary said. "They have a very solid lineup. We need to come out strong and confident and take the doubles to set the tone of the match."
In addition to the game's physical aspects, the women have put a special emphasis on the mental game and communicating on the court this week, which could give the Jumbos the edge they need to win three doubles matches.
"Communication as a team and with each doubles team is essential," Bayard said. "Our teams gel and we have good dynamics on the court. I am very confident in our mental toughness."
Three doubles wins could also give the Jumbos the momentum they need going into singles against a Williams squad that has compiled a 12-2 record this spring, only losing to Middlebury and Amherst.
"I think our biggest strength now and going into the tournament will be our doubles," senior tri-captain Jen Luten said. "We have worked on it and definitely know that we can beat any lineup all the way through in doubles. It definitely sets the tone for singles and the rest of the match."
The seniors will lead the way for the Jumbos as Luten and Deary will compete in the No. 1 doubles spot. Additionally, Luten will lead a strong singles lineup that posted a 78-33 record overall this year. Luten has won three of four of her singles matches against the Ephs in her career, with the only loss being a tough three-set loss in the NCAA Regionals her freshman year.
"Against Williams we will need to play great tennis," Deary said. "This season each person has stepped up but this will need to be a collective effort if we are going to beat the Ephs. We do not need to play outside our comfort level, we just need to play our games and then we will start to win each match."
"It will depend a lot on whether or not our doubles comes out to play," Bayard said. "Their doubles are all beatable. We need to go into the match the same way we have gone into every other match. We just need to focus on what needs to be done every point and go about our business."
The winner of the Friday match will meet No. 1 seed Middlebury. The Jumbos have not played Middlebury this season but have a 6-2 record against the Panthers since 1999, although the two losses came in the past two seasons. Anything is possible this weekend, as the talent on each of the teams is on a level playing field, and each team has its eyes on a championship.
"We want to win NESCAC," Deary said. "That has been our goal from the beginning of the season."
The winner of the Trinity-Amherst match will face off with No. 2 Bowdoin on Saturday with the Championship match being played on Sunday afternoon.
"I think everyone on the team is ready to stay at Amherst the whole weekend," Ruley said. "We want a chance at a lot of the top teams."
