The No. 17 women's tennis team on Saturday tended its two−match slide with a hard−fought victory against No. 15 Middlebury College. The NESCAC matchup raised Tufts' record to 11−5 overall and 6−2 in conference play. Despite losing two of their three doubles matches, the Jumbos rode a strong singles effort, in which they won five out of six matches, to clinch the win.
"Everyone fought really hard for each other," first−year Lauren Hollender said. "It was really an all−around team effort."
After going 0−for−3 against national No. 2 Amherst in the doubles matches last week, the Jumbos struggled again in doubles on Saturday. The nationally ranked duo of junior co−captain Julia Browne and senior co−captain Meghan McCooey notched the first point for Tufts with an 8−4 set at the first doubles spot.
However, the Panthers fought back against Tufts' second doubles team of first−years Lindsay Katz and Janice Lam and the No. 3 tandem of Hollender and junior Edwina Stewart, taking the rest of the doubles in decisive 8−4 and 8−0 wins.
Despite the disadvantage partway through the match, the Jumbos collected themselves and came out ready to win in the singles matches, not dropping a set against the Panthers in any match but the No. 2 spot on the ladder.
"We just know that's what happened, and there's nothing we can do to change what happened in the doubles," Hollender said. "We just try to move forward and know that we're capable of winning, and everyone did a great job of that this weekend."
Browne led the way for Tufts at No. 1 singles, defeating Middlebury sophomore Tori Aiello 7−6 (6), 7−6 (7). Stewart and McCooey also faced tough tie−breakers, but the team as a whole was able to win three out of four tie−breakers in the contest. Sophomore Jennifer LaCara, Katz and Lam each won quick, two−set matches to seal the deal for the Jumbos.
"We had much more confidence in our singles game," Hollender said. "We knew what we had to do and stepped it up."
With the season winding to an end, the Jumbos will face their last regular−season and conference game against No .11 Bowdoin this weekend. Despite the difficult matches these past few weeks, a victory over Middlebury gives Tufts the confidence to head into the post−season with high hopes.
"Every team in the NESCAC is tough, but I think after this week we're in a good place," Hollender said. "We just need to keep it going and fight for every point."
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