After a rough spring break schedule in which it lost three out of five contests against stiff non-conference opposition, the women's tennis team began the NESCAC season with a bang, notching two in-conference wins last Friday afternoon. After traveling to Maine, the Jumbos thoroughly dominated rivals Colby and Bates, not dropping even one match on their way to toppling both with perfect 9-0 victories.
"Our mental toughness was really crucial this weekend, as we played our first real matches of the spring that would count towards our record," junior tri-captain Julia Browne said. "It was really exciting to see where we are this early in the season."
Browne and senior tri-captain Meghan McCooey led the nationally ranked No.17 Jumbos to success against Colby, as the duo throttled the Mules' first doubles team 8-0 and won each of their singles matches handily, losing only three games in four total sets between them.
First-years Lindsay Katz and Janice Lam succeeded at second doubles with an 8-1 win against Colby, while junior Edwina Stewart and first-year Lauren Hollender emerged victorious in a close match with a 9-7 triumph.
"Our doubles has definitely improved," Katz said. "There were some matches that were close, and we were able to pull out because of the toughness we developed over spring break."
All six singles matches finished in a decisive fashion as well, without the Mules forcing any one match into a third set. Browne lost only one game in her match, while McCooey dispatched her opponent 6-1, 6-1. Katz, Stewart, and Hollender also dominated in singles to go along with their doubles victories.
"It definitely gave us a lot of confidence, being able to go out there in our first NESCAC matches and come out with big wins," Browne said.
After the shutout of Colby, the Jumbos were feeling confident. But rather than immediately celebrating their first NESCAC win, the Jumbos were forced to regain their composure and face off against Bates for their second match of the afternoon.
Despite the heavy schedule, the Jumbos' confidence and the way they breezed through the first match of the day allowed them to conserve energy, push through and maintain their strength. Tufts' extensive training paid off, as the team continued its momentum and was able to rout the Bobcats for its second shutout of the day.
"It's hard to go into one match and win and then refocus and go into another match," Katz said. "But we've been working a lot with being mentally tough, and that gave us a lot more confidence this weekend."
"Having two matches in one day was tough, but we worked very hard over the offseason," Browne added. "The whole team is well conditioned and prepared for the season, and that clearly showed."
The Jumbos lost a total of just four games in three doubles matches against Bates, with each Tufts duo easily overcoming its opponent. Katz and Lam highlighted the resounding win, taking their match at No. 2 doubles with a perfect 8-0 set. Browne breezed at first singles once again with a love-and-love victory.
Tufts ended the weekend with an overall record of 6-3 and a 2-0 record in NESCAC matches, while the Mules dropped to 6-4 (1-2 NESCAC) and the Bobcats fell to 6-2 (1-1 NESCAC). The Jumbos will play next on Wednesday for their third NESCAC match of the season against conference rival Wesleyan, looking to continue their hot start.
"It's definitely a great way to start off the season," Browne said. "We're feeling confident and playing well."
