For the women's tennis team, the month of April has just become repetitive.
Following two sweeping victories last weekend versus lowly NESCAC opponents Trinity and Hamilton, the Jumbos have now moved to 5−0 in conference play during the current month and have won those five games by a combined 44−1 margin. Tufts, the 17th−ranked team in the nation, has continued to roll over its opponents and looks strong heading into a showdown on Saturday with defending national champion Williams.
"We had two great, decisive wins," senior tri−captain Laura Hoguet said. "Neither of the teams are our toughest competition, but in those matches, it's a time to try new things and gain confidence to practice being in a match and just taking it point by point and having that good focus throughout."
Most recently, the Jumbo squad downed host Hamilton 8−1 on Sunday, marking the first time Tufts had lost either a singles or doubles match during its five−match winning streak. The loss came at No. 3 doubles as junior Edwina Stewart and freshman Lauren Hollender fell in a tiebreaker, 9−8 (5). Other than that, however, it was all Tufts in the NESCAC match.
Freshman Lindsay Katz took her singles match at No. 3 by a 6−0, 6−0 margin, as did first−year Janie Lam at No. 5 and Hollender at No. 6. Stewart, at No. 4 singles, had a similarly easy time dispatching her opponent in straight sets, 6−2, 6−1. Junior tri−captain Julia Browne, Tufts' top singles player, gave up three games in a set for the first time in NESCAC play this entire season, but rebounded with a sweeping second−set victory to take the match 6−3, 6−0. Meanwhile, senior tri−captain Meghan McCooey won at No. 2 singles by a 6−1, 6−1 margin.
Facing Trinity two days earlier in its spring home−opener, the Jumbos swept the doubles matches, with both the No. 1 and No. 2 teams winning by 8−1 margins. Freshman Lauren Hollender and junior Edwina Stewart additionally cruised to an 8−4 victory at No. 3.
In singles, it was more of the same as McCooey and sophomore Jennifer LaCara each won 6−0, 6−0, while Browne downed Bantams freshman Hillary Hoyt 6−0, 6−1. Stewart, Lam and Hollender all won in straight sets, as the six Tufts singles players ceded just 12 aggregate games in as many sets on the day.
Before the showdown with the nationally ranked No. 2 Williams Ephs on Saturday, though, the Jumbos must turn their attention to home matches with Brandeis today and then Wellesley on Friday. Between the contests, the young squad will focus on strengthening its overall game, specifically in doubles strategy and closing at the net, to prepare for the Ephs.
"It's great for [the younger players] to get some wins under their belt in their college career and to gain confidence on the court," Hoguet said. "Experience is important, especially in doubles, so we just want to [practice] new things and experiment with what works and what doesn't and gaining confidence with what works best for each player."
