Junior Andrew Rosen, the top singles player throughout the fall season on the men's tennis team, entered the 2008-09 campaign not knowing what to expect.
"We just got four new freshmen, so I didn't have too high of expectations," he said. "I didn't know how they'd play or how the personalities would mix. But after the fall season, I was really happy with what I saw."
The squad, like last year, is very young, consisting mostly of freshmen and sophomores with a few upperclassmen. For a team with relatively little experience, the fall season is the perfect time to get a feel for collegiate tennis before the more important spring season, which includes dual matches against NESCAC foes.
On top of the necessary experience gleaned from autumn play, starting a season with a couple wins can get the momentum started for later on, and that's just what the team did this fall. Tufts swept both Salve Regina and Babson 9-0, while also sending players to a pair of more-individualized tournaments: the ITA Regional Championships and the Wallach Invitational at Bates.
"Overall, I thought our season was pretty successful," Rosen said. "In our two matches versus Babson and Salve Regina, we beat them decisively and that really set the tone for us."
"We showed a good amount of intensity and focus," coach Doug Eng added. "The team just needs to build and come together a little more."
Coming into the season, the biggest question mark was doubles. Tufts fell in a number of close matches last year due in large part to mediocre play from doubles teams, but this year is a different story. After the first two duals, the Jumbos' doubles teams are undefeated.
In singles, the team looks to carry on its tradition of strong play and expects to compete with many of the tougher divisional rivals, especially after impressive play in the Wallach Invitational by freshman Garrett Schuman and juniors Bryan Wilner and Dan Landers.
"The key is when we're out there, we just have to optimize the skills we have," Rosen said.
While the Jumbo roster remains deep, Tufts will face some of the toughest competition in the nation playing in the NESCAC, which makes every spring season a difficult one. Normally ranked at the top of both the league and the nation, heavyweights Williams, Trinity, Bates and Amherst promise to make it challenging for the Jumbos when they return to the court in March.
"The NESCAC's tough; there are five to six teams in the NESCAC who can make it to the [NCAA] Final Four every year," Eng said. "It's the best conference in Div. III, so we can expect some stiff competition. We have a good team. It's just hard to be recognized nationally when you rank in the middle of your division."
"Our competition is very good, as we saw at Bates and the ITAs," Rosen said. "It will be a challenge, but it will only make us better."
Fortunately, the Jumbos will be able to practice during the winter at Tufts' indoor facilities in the Gantcher Center. Not only will they be expected to hit daily, but they will also work out with trainers to stay in peak physical condition, as Eng is stressing fitness this season. The players will also look to improve on some of the flaws they identified during the short autumn season.
"We need to work on our defensive abilities," Eng said. "We have a lot of good players, but they don't have the technique that some of the best players have, so we need to work on that. Also, we need to improve on our volleys. We have to start learning how to attack and go from the baseline to the net."
Still, the Jumbos will enter the winter offseason expecting solid results this spring after a sound showing during fall competition.
"The spring should be good," Rosen said. "We have one of the best teams we've had since I've been on the team, and we're all really excited to play."
