While the rest of Tufts celebrates Homecoming weekend, tomorrow will be just another day at the office for the women's tennis team. Actually, it will be more like a business trip, as the team will spend its Homecoming Saturday at Bowdoin in a match against the Polar Bears.
Every good team is apt to run into early season struggles, but that doesn't mean they always do. Case in point: The women's tennis team. In its first two matches, this historically good team has done everything but struggle. Its second consecutive 9-0 win, this time over NESCAC foe Colby College at home on Saturday, upped the Jumbos' record to 2-0 (1-0 NESCAC). Following a season-opening win at Babson, Colby moved to 1-1 (0-1 NESCAC) on the season in the loss. The Jumbos picked up right where they left off from the 2003-04 season. Veteran players have moved up and several freshmen have filled out the lineup to compensate for the loss of captain Barclay Gang to graduation, and the absence of juniors Becky Bram and Lisa Miller, who are studying abroad. First year head coach Doug Eng has also stepped up to play a key role thus far. He is quite aware of how talented the missing players are, but is impressed with how well the team has filled in its gaps. "I think right now the team is very close to last year's [ability]," Eng said. "We have tremendous depth." Although the victory over Colby was not as clean of a sweep as the Jumbos' shut-out win over Smith last week, the team fought through trouble when necessary to take all nine points. At second and third singles, senior tri-captain Jennifer Lejb and sophomore Kylyn Deary both took three sets, but managed to secure wins. The doubles teams, who are still fine-tuning their games, also had a bit more trouble on Saturday than they did against Smith. Sophomores Deary and Jen Luten, playing in the first position, posted an 8-6 victory, while senior teams of tri-captains Lejb and Neda Pisheva, along with tri-captain Trina Spear and classmate Ashley Weisman, were also victorious. Much of the team's emphasis in practice early in the season has been on doubles play. Later in the year, securing points in doubles competition will be crucial in competition against top opponents such as Amherst, Williams and Middlebury. Eng knows how much time it takes to build a cohesive doubles partnership. "We've spent a lot of time on doubles," he said. "We're working on a lot of different formations that other teams don't use. What [also] really works well in doubles is chemistry and communication." Luten, who teamed with Deary for a win at first doubles, also emphasized the importance of team chemistry in two-person matches. "Kylyn and I played together this summer in a lot of tournaments," Luten said. "We're really good friends, so it does help." Luten, playing at first singles, continued her early-season dominance, with a 6-0, 6-1 triumph over Colby senior Sarah Hughes (not the figure skater). At this early point in the season, Luten has dropped only one game in four total sets. Spear also had plenty of success on Saturday, also running her record to 2-0 with a fourth singles victory over Mule junior Ginny Raho (6-0, 6-1). Rounding out the singles lineup, freshman Lani Ackerman topped Colby senior Lauren Uhlmann by a score of 7-5, 6-3. With their first three-set contests of the season under their belts, Lejb and Deary got a preview of the tougher competition that lies ahead. While nobody wants to play a grueling three-set match, that type of play is frequent against strong competitors. After dropping a first set tie-breaker, Lejb rallied back to beat Mule sophomore Allison Dunn (6-7 (5-7), 6-0, 6-3). Deary ran into trouble in her second set, but got back on track to take the third set, and the match, against Colby sophomore Tracy Nale by a score of 6-2, 4-6, 6-1. In reflecting on their season-opening wins over Smith and Colby, Luten had little to complain about. "I think we're all playing very well," the sophomore said. "And I think we have great team chemistry as well." Up next for the Jumbos is a NESCAC showdown at home against Bates today. The match will mark the team's second attempt to play on the Voute Courts, as Saturday's inclement weather forced the action indoors to the Gantcher Center. Deary, who defeated Bates sophomore Emma Nochomovitz last fall at fifth singles (6-1, 6-0), is the only Jumbo likely to have a rematch from last year, this time in the third position. Also on the horizon are this weekend's ITA Championships, hosted by Williams. With a big week of conference action and tournament play ahead, Eng can only be pleased with what his team has shown him thus far.
Most teams, in any sport, would be pretty handcuffed if they were to lose not one or two, but three of their top six players from the previous season. But the 11th ranked women's tennis squad is an exception to the rule.
Once again, it was close but no cigar for the women's tennis team against Williams. For the second consecutive year, the Jumbos fell by a single point to the Ephs, losing 5-4 on Sunday afternoon in Williamstown, Mass. Tufts captured the top two singles as well as the doubles point, but faltered at the third through sixth singles matches. Coach Jim Watson's crew closed the season with three straight losses in dual-match play to finish at 10-3 after a 10-0 start, and now awaits a trip to the upcoming NCAA Regional Tournament, also held at Williams this Friday, where the team will meet with the nationally 29th-ranked Vassar squad. Junior Jen Lejb and freshman Jen Luten fell 8-3 at top doubles to Steph Hall and Kate Troy, but the Jumbos rallied to steal the doubles point when their second and third pairs came through. Senior captain Barclay Gang and junior Neda Pisheva won 8-3 over Julie Mallory and Alex McLennan at number two doubles, and junior Lisa Miller and freshman Kylyn Deary pulled out an 8-6 victory over Caroline Wasserman and Britney Binet at the third spot. After a several-week stay at two singles, Lejb returned to number one and defeated Hall, ranked number one regionally, by an impressive score of 6-0, 6-2. "Steph Hall plays right into Jen's game," Watson said. "Both like a fast-paced aggressive game, and Jen really thrived on that. She was aggressive early, she refused to be pushed back, and she was creating angles and opportunities and really scoring some nice high-risk shots." Luten, who had lost her last three dual-meet matches at the top spot, dropped down to number two but seemed unfazed, trumping Mallory 6-3, 6-2 to give the Jumbos their fourth point. The team couldn't get one more, however, as the third through sixth Jumbos all fell in straight sets without winning more than two games in a single set. "The overall match score was close, but it was anticlimactic in the sense that the matches we won were won easily, and the matches they won were won easily at least in terms of set score," Watson said. "Our losses look brutal, but the battles within the games were incredibly intense. Games were going to deuce and lasting for 15, 20 minutes." Sophomore Becky Bram fell 6-1, 6-2 at the third singles spot while Gang lost 6-0, 6-2 at the fourth slot. Neither has won a singles match since the Middlebury Invitational in the first weekend of April "Becky attempted to be more aggressive [against Williams]," Watson said. "But she still needs to play more to win and less not to lose. She has to take some chances and she can do it. Barclay is the opposite; she's aggressive and she needs to temper that with more patience. If we could mix the two you'd have a perfect player." At the fifth and sixth singles spots, Miller fell 6-2, 6-2 to the Ephs' Wasserman while Deary fell to Binet 6-0, 6-2. Tufts will compete in its fourth straight NCAA Regional Tournament this Friday. Host Williams has proved to be the thorn in the side of the Jumbo team, beating Tufts in the Regional finals last spring, 5-3, and in 2001 by a 6-3 margin. The team fell to Amherst by the same score in 2002. Vassar, the Jumbos' first round opponent, enters the tournament ranked sixth regionally with a 19-2 season record. The two schools last clashed in the first round of the 2001 Regional Tournament, with the Jumbos coming out on top, 5-1. This spring, the winner of the clash will face the winner of Williams and the College of New Jersey on Saturday.
The women's tennis team suffered a disappointing weekend at Amherst, tying for fifth place out of eleven teams at the NESCAC championships. Amherst and Williams tied for first with 27 team points each. Tufts finished behind Bowdoin (19) and Trinity (12), and tied with Middlebury (11).
Finally, the women's tennis team came back down to earth. Playing before its largest crowd of the season, Tufts lost its unbeaten record Friday afternoon, falling 8-1 to the number one Emory Eagles at the Voute Courts. The Jumbos dropped to 10-1 on the year while their opponent improved to 14-1. Junior Jen Lejb was the only Jumbo to win, dropping Carina Alberelli in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. Down 3-2 in the second set, Lejb battled back by breaking her opponent's serve in the sixth, eighth, and final game. With Lejb up 4-3 and 15-love in the game, Alberelli double faulted and then Lejb delivered a crosscourt backhand and a short drop volley to go up 5-3. She dropped a quick ninth game and then, with all the other matches done and everyone watching, finally pulled out the win when Alberelli hit a lob long on match point. "It was good to see Jen win," freshman Jen Luten said. "She worked really hard and it helped end the match on more of a positive note." The other Jumbos did not see as much success as Lejb, though. Luten fell 6-1, 6-2 at first singles, and sophomore Becky Bram was downed 6-0, 6-3 at third singles. Both seemed to be difficult matchups for the Jumbos, as Luten, a strong baseline player, ran up against an even stronger one, and the normally consistent Bram faced an opponent who played nearly mistake-free tennis. "Coach told me during the match to try to mix up my shots a little bit and be more patient," Luten said. "I definitely should have been more patient, I tried to come out and play aggressively and bang it out with her, which probably wasn't the smartest way to play because she was pretty overpowering. I don't think I've ever been aced so many times." At number four, senior captain Barclay Gang, playing in pain with a diagnosed hernia, lost 6-2, 6-0. "[The injury] affected me a lot, but I wouldn't say that was why I lost," Gang said. "She got to everything I hit, she was like a backboard, and I just couldn't stay out there long enough. It hurts, but I'm going to play with it and wait to get it taken care of after the season, so I'm going to have to get used to it and not make excuses." "She's a trooper," Luten said of her captain. "I don't know how she does it. It's bothering her a lot off the court so I'm pretty sure it's bothering her a lot on the court." Sophomore Lisa Miller (6-1, 6-2) and freshman Kylyn Deary (6-2, 6-2) lost at the fifth and sixth spots, respectively. For Luten, Miller, and Deary, it was their first loss in regular dual match competition this year. At doubles, Lejb and Luten went up against the top doubles team in the nation of Mary Ellen Gordon and Jolyn Taylor, and held a 6-5 lead before faltering and falling 8-6. "I was really pumped after doubles," Luten said. "That was probably the best Jen and I played all year. So it was a little frustrating to lose in singles like I did." The pairing of Gang and junior Neda Pisheva at the second doubles spot and Bram and Deary at third both fell 8-2. "I feel like we didn't really know what to expect," Luten said. "We had had a lot of pretty easy matches, and we knew Emory was good, but it's one thing to hear that someone is number one and another thing to see it. This can only help us get better though. Now we know what level we need to be at and what we need to work on." The squad travels to Amherst tomorrow afternoon for a dual meet and then returns there this weekend for the NESCAC championship. "We really hadn't played that many tough matches this year," Gang said. "This was a good experience for us, especially with the tough matches we have coming up."
The women's tennis team opened the spring with a slightly different lineup from the fall. So far, however, the results have been the same. With freshman Jen Luten and junior Jen Lejb flip-flopping at the number one and two seeds, the squad picked up right where its undefeated fall season left off, blasting Wesleyan and Brandeis each by a 9-0 count and winning four of six titles over the weekend at the Middlebury Invitational. The two non-tournament wins ran the Jumbos' record to 10-0 (6-0 NESCAC) including fall matches. At the eight-team tournament at Middlebury, Luten captured the A singles division, winning two, three-set matches after two easy wins in the first round and quarterfinals. In the semifinals, she battled back from several match points down to defeat Middlebury number one seed Jackie Ross (4-6, 6-1, 13-11). In the finals, she ran up against Middlebury's Amy Roche, who had yet to lose a single game in the tournament. Using a strong serve, Luten claimed a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory, gaining some degree of revenge for sophomore teammate Becky Bram, who fell to Roche in the semifinals. "It took me awhile to get adjusted to my opponents' games," Luten said of dropping the first set of her final two matches. "I played smart and kept my patience, and I was able to step it up and play with more intensity." In the B singles tournament, senior co-captain Barclay Gang and junior Lisa Miller both reached the semifinals. There, Miller fell to Middlebury's Claire Smyser 6-3, 6-1 while Gang took out top seed Sandy Spring 7-6 (4), 7-5. In the finals, Gang was down 6-3, 3-0 to Smyser when she was forced to retire with a torn abdominal muscle. "We played seven matches in two days," said Gang, who will see a doctor this week to determine her injury status. "I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to play in the finals at all. I tried, but it just hurt too much." In the C singles tournament, freshman Kylyn Deary captured the title with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Middlebury's Lauren Ready, who took out Jumbo junior Trina Spear 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals. In doubles play, freshmen Luten and Deary won the A division, Gang and junior Neda Pisheva fell in the B finals, and Bram and Miller claimed the C championship with a tight 9-8 (7) win. Lejb did not make the trip up to Vermont, giving Luten and Deary the opportunity to play together. "It felt really good playing with her," Luten said. "We play really well together and I hope we can keep playing together." After the winter offseason and a spring break vacation in Miami, the Jumbos were impressive against both Wesleyan and Brandeis, avoiding a single three-set match. Against Wesleyan on March 27, Luten's 6-2, 6-4 victory was as close as any of the Cardinals came to touching a Jumbo. Lejb (6-1, 6-4), Bram (6-1, 6-1), Gang (6-1, 6-0), Miller (6-0, 6-1), and Deary (6-3) all won easily. The Jumbos' three primary doubles teams from the fall enjoyed similar success. The Jens teamed up to win 8-3 at the number one doubles slot, Gang and Pisheva triumphed at number two doubles 8-4, and Bram and Miller prevailed 8-1 in the third spot. "I think we looked very sharp and very professional versus Wesleyan," Luten said. "Everyone looks improved. We've been working hard and putting in a lot of effort." Forced into Gantcher against Brandeis due to rain last Thursday, Luten (6-4, 6-2), Lejb (6-2, 6-0), Bram (6-1, 6-1), Gang (6-1, 6-2), Miller (6-1, 6-0), and Deary (6-2, 6-1) all won their singles matches with ease. The doubles teams of Lejb and Luten, Gang and Pisheva, and Miller and Deary all won handily as well. "Everyone was on top of their games against Brandeis," Lejb said. "We've been playing during the offseason and really practicing. We haven't really had any problems." "We have so much talent, and right now we're changing some stuff up, all with the purpose of winning," Gang added. "We're trying to put everyone's individual goals behind and focus on the team, because I think that's what will get us to the NCAA's. Everyone's on the same page." After playing primarily at three and then two during the fall, Luten moved up to the top spot after defeating Lejb in a challenge match. "I was really excited and kind of shocked," Luten said prior to the Brandeis match. "I'm going to try not to let [moving up ruin my perfect record]. I'm going to play some very good players, but I'm up for the challenge." So far, she has managed to keep her undefeated record intact, but it will be tough to do so on Friday, when national number one Emory visits Voute Courts at 12 p.m. "Middlebury was a great warmup," Gang said. "We have only tough matches from here on out, starting with Emory."
To categorize the women's tennis team as dominant this fall would hardly do it justice. The Jumbos capped off an 8-0 fall season with a 9-0 win over Trinity on Saturday at Voute Courts. The match was the squad's fifth shutout this fall, and the third consecutive fall season in which they have ended with an unblemished record. The Bantams moved to 3-4 with the defeat. Again, it was business as usual for a team that didn't lose a set all day. The Jumbos finished the fall dual season outscoring their opponents 66-6 in matches. As opposed to the Wellesley match last Wednesday, Tufts had its whole regular lineup competing against Trinity. Of the regulars in the six-player singles lineup, the most pleasant surprise has been the play of freshmen Jen Luten and Kylyn Deary. Luten, playing in the number three position, finished off an 8-0 season of her own as she polished off Trinity junior Britt Olwine 6-2, 6-1. Deary followed suit as she battled to a 6-2, 7-5 decision over Trinity freshman Maddy Ward. Deary stands at 8-0 as well. "Kylyn and Jen have more than filled in for the seniors we lost from last year," sophomore Lisa Miller said. "They have met any goals our team could have had for them." Senior co-captain Barclay Gang repeated those sentiments. "For these freshmen not to have lost all season, it's just great to see some fresh new faces out on the court and doing well," she said. Gang and Miller should not sell themselves short either. Miller, from the number five slot, breezed to a 6-0, 6-1 win that kept her in the ranks of the unbeaten (6-0 season, 22-6 career). Gang completed another strong dual season with a 6-1, 7-5 triumph that brought her to 5-1 for the year, 43-14 for her career. "I felt great out there," Gang said. "Our whole team couldn't have come together any better either. We were just real pumped up from the start, and that carried us through the match just like it has all year." Not to be overlooked are arguably the squads most talented players in number one junior Jen Lejb and number two sophomore Becky Bram. Lejb took advantage of the fact that Trinity was missing its number one player due to injury and triumphed in straight sets (6-4, 6-4) to finish with an identical record to Miller's (6-0). Bram's 6-4, 6-0 win brought her to 6-1 on the season and 23-9 on her career. As has been the case all season, the singles success came on the heels of positive results in doubles. At number one, Lejb and Luten finished 5-1 after an 8-1 pounding. At number two, Tufts' longest running doubles team of Gang and junior Neda Pisheva won 8-4 to even themselves up at 2-2 for the year and 15-8 for their career together. Bram and Miller's 8-2 win from the number three slot made these sophomore stalwarts 4-0 together. "Both for myself individually and us as a team, we just took care of business," Miller said. "It was nice to have this kind of momentum going in our last match of the season as we move into the New England's." The New England Championships will be held from this Friday through Sunday at Amherst. Last fall, Tufts finished second out of 25 teams as Amherst came out on top and Williams came in third. "We are right where we want to be going into next weekend," Gang said. Miller feels that the team's health this year gives the Jumbos an advantage they haven't had in years past. "The last couple seasons we have had injuries but still been able to play relatively well," she said. "It will help to have our full lineup going."
When most teams play a match without their number one, number two and number five players, it would be cause for worry. But in the case of the women's tennis team, this situation cannot stop the roll this incredibly deep squad is on. The squad went into Wellesley College shorthanded on Wednesday but emerged with yet another 9-0 victory, their fourth clean sweep of the year. The non-league victory improved the Jumbos to 7-0, while their league NESCAC record remains at 4-0. Number one singles player junior Jen Lejb, as well as sophomores Becky Bram (number two) and Lisa Miller (number five), didn't make the short trip to Wellesley on account of midterms. But the Jumbos didn't miss a beat. "We have such a luxury of being able to fill in spots and still dominate," coach Jim Watson said. The usual number three player, freshman Jen Luten (7-0 on the year), stepped up to the number one slot and was clearly up to the challenge, quickly disposing of her opponent in straight sets (6-0, 6-2). The regular number four competitor, senior captain Barclay Gang, moved up to number two and had a bit of a tougher time. She dropped the first set quickly before making a complete 180 to dominate the next two sets for the win (2-6, 6-0, 6-1). Gang attributed the first set troubles to a combination of factors. "Playing outdoors in matches for the first time in a while took some adjustment," she said. "The courts were pretty slow, and my game is helped by faster courts." Watson applauded how she came back after dropping the first set. "Once Barclay worked hard at settling down her game, she regained her confidence and looked great out there," Watson said. A host of other Jumbos got their chance to step up in the team's last non-league contest of the fall. Freshman Kylyn Deary (7-0 record), normally number five, was boosted to three and she ousted her competition in a 6-1, 6-2 cakewalk. Junior Trina Spear took advantage of her opportunity as she has all year ( 3-0 record) and won in the four slot after her opponent retired in the third set (6-2, 4-6, ret). In addition, freshmen Stephanie Ruley (6-1, 6-0) and Patricia Ritter (6-4, 6-2) breezed through their first varsity matches. "Wednesday's match was just a lot of fun for everyone, seeing as how we got to pull together our JV and varsity players," Gang said. There was more fun to be had in the doubles, where the Jumbos started the day and did not relent. Luten and Deary made a mean freshman combo and edged out Wellesley's number one pair 8-5. Gang and Spear combined for a dominating 8-0 triumph, and Ruley and Ritter came out on top of an 8-1 score. The revised doubles groups picked up where the others had left off: as winners. "We had to do some reworking with the doubles lineups and it turned out fine," Watson said. "Wellesley had some competitive players, but they could only play with us for so long. Our depth is just a tremendous advantage that not many teams have." The short fall dual season is capped off tomorrow when the Jumbos play host to Trinity at Voute Courts, weather permitting. The Bantams are ranked #25 nationally, but they have struggled recently against the likes of Williams and Amherst and have dropped to 1-3. This will be only the third home match for the Jumbos. "We're really looking forward to playing another home match, especially a league match," Gang said. "With how well this year has gone, we aren't too worried about Trinity. But we still have to continue to work hard." Miller echoed those sentiments. "Historically, Trinity isn't as strong as a team like Bowdoin or Middlebury, but it's a new season, so it should be a competitive match."
The women's tennis team, coming into the season ranked eighth in the nation, picked up where it left off last spring with an easy victory over Smith College. The Jumbos opened up their season on a very positive note, easily defeating the Pioneers 8-1 in their home opener this past Wednesday. Coach Jim Watson used all ten women in the victory, as his team won all six singles matches with considerable ease, while taking two of three doubles matches. He did this to make all players feel they contributed to the win. "If I just played the top six, we most probably would have won 9-0," Watson said. Junior number one singles player Jen Lejb didn't surrender a game in defeating Smith's Lauren Kemp 6-0, 6-0. Sophomore Rebecca Bram started off a little slowly but had no trouble dominating her opponent, taking the match 6-2, 6-3 at the two spot. At number three, freshman Jennifer Luten had no signs of butterflies in her first collegiate tennis match as she crushed Smith sophomore Ruth Linz, 6-2, 6-1. Senior captain Barclay Gang, despite struggling a bit in the second set, still came away with an impressive victory, 6-2, 6-4. Sophomore Lisa Miller, occupying the number five slot, overpowered her opponent 6-1, 6-1. Rounding out the top six was freshman Kylyn Deary, who like Luten, showed no signs of nervousness while routing her opponent 6-0, 6-1. "It didn't really feel like a college match to me, it felt very normal," Deary said. "However, it is very different in actually knowing you have a team and a school behind you that you're playing for." The lone setback for Tufts came at the number two doubles spot, as juniors Trina Spear and Neda Pisheva dropped a tough match 8-6 to Smith's Ashley Kilgore and Ruth Linz. The number one team of Lejb and Luten coasted to an 8-3 victory, as did the number three team of freshman Steph Ruley and sophomore transfer from Army, Rebecca Feldman, who took their match 8-1. "We have a great crop of new talent coming in," Watson said. "We have three very good freshmen who have plugged up the two holes in our lineup due to graduation." The Jumbos now have a lengthy break until they open the conference season at Colby on Sept. 20. "We haven't really drilled that much yet this year, because we've mainly been playing challenge matches," Watson said. "We can use these days of practice to get all our kinks out. Also, it's very important that we establish our doubles teams, because our doubles have been the reason we've lost to Amherst and Williams the past three years." The Jumbos look to continue their success against Colby next weekend. Tufts has controlled the White Mules easily over the past few seasons, winning 9-0, 7-2, and 7-2 in the past three years. "We came together very well as a team today, and it makes me very excited about the season ahead," Miller said. "Being the first match of the season, it was great to have everyone involved and feel like that are contributing to the team effort. It's always a challenge getting back into the season, but it's also very exciting."
The women's tennis team's thrilling ride this season came to an end at the Northeast Regional Final in Williamstown on May 4, as defending national champion Williams outlasted the Jumbos 5-3. It was the third straight year the squad had been in the regional final. The loss spelled the end to one of the more successful seasons Tufts tennis has ever seen. The Jumbos finished the fall and spring season with a more than respectable 11-3 record, identical to their mark at the end of last season. While a win over the Ephs would have sent Tufts to Nationals at the University of Redlands in California, there will still be Jumbo representation at the tournament. Senior co-captain Katie Nordstrom and sophomore number one singles player Jen Lejb are among the top-ranked doubles pairs in the nation, and have been selected to go to the tournament, which starts May 14. Freshman number two Becky Bram also will represent the Jumbos in the singles competition. "It would be more special if we could have made it as a team, but this is certainly the next best thing," Nordstrom said. "It's what you work for." Coach Jim Watson agrees that, even though the team couldn't make it, the individual honors are still welcome. "These girls have worked so hard. It's a shame that they all won't be going, but I am still ecstatic that these three are getting this opportunity." In the Regional final the Jumbos managed to win three of their five singles matches, but it was the doubles that did them in. The Ephs swept them in doubles 3-0 as they had just a week earlier in their 5-4 win over Tufts. "We were definitely faltering in doubles towards the end of the year," Watson said. "We just needed to be more aggressive from the start and we weren't." Similar to the first match with Williams, the Jumbos did not let a weak showing in doubles affect their consistent singles play. Lejb picked up where she had left off all season from the number one spot as she triumphed 6-4, 6-1 over Williams junior Stephanie Hall. Bram continued her remarkable freshman campaign with a 7-6, 6-3 win in the number two spot. Tufts' third singles win came from arguably the team's most valuable player this season. Senior co-captain Iffy Saeed capped off her career with her 58th win 0-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the fifth spot. Saeed was 23-2 on the season. While she had played in the number six spot for most of the year, she was moved up for the Regionals based on her lights-out performance. "[Iffy] should have been playing higher than number six all year," Watson said. "I can't stress enough how much she has meant to this program." In order to get to the Regional final, the Jumbos had to get past the Middlebury Panthers, whom they had beaten 9-0 in the fall. The Jumbos were paced by their singles play again, as Lejb, Katie Nordstrom, junior Barclay Gang, Saeed, and freshman Lisa Miller all took matches against the Panthers. In doubles, the lone Jumbo win came from Saeed and sophomore Ashley Weisman in the third slot. While the squad did not reach all the goals they had set for themselves prior to the season, Watson believes the season was a success regardless. "I had a lot of fun with this team," he said. "The problem is that we are in a region with two teams [Williams and Amherst] who are perennially in the hunt for a national championship. They know how to win and have tremendous players from the top of their rosters to the bottom. We would thrive even more than we have if we were in any other region, but that is not the way it is." It appears as if the Jumbos will be restocked and reloaded to take another run at Williams and Amherst next year. They will lose only three seniors (Saeed, Nordstrom, and Emily Warshauer), and new talent is on its way. "We should be very strong and very deep next year," Watson said. "We have two real good freshmen coming in to compliment an already talented team. We're just going to have to play up to our potential if we want to compete with the region's elite."
After a disappointing 6-3 loss to Amherst last Tuesday, the women's tennis team bounced back this weekend and tied for second place in the eleven team NESCAC tournament. Host college Williams won the tournament with 31 points, while both the Jumbos and the Amherst Lord Jeffs finished with 25 points each. Of the six titles that could be won for points, Tufts took two. Both the singles and the doubles brackets were broken up into smaller brackets, Flights A, B, and C. Senior co-captain Iffy Saeed took the Flight C title for the Jumbos, defeating Williams' Tracy Cheung 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. In the doubles, the tandem of senior co-captain Katie Nordstrom and sophomore Jen Lejb won three straight matches en route to a Flight A doubles title. The pair beat Amherst's Tristan Hedrick and Rachel Holt 8-4 in the final. The Nordstrom/Lejb win was a testament to the team's improvement from its play in the match last Tuesday. The two had lost 8-3 just days before to the same team they beat in the finals at NESCACs. "Jen and I were really clicking this weekend," Nordstrom said. "I like the tournament format [as opposed to the duel format] because it allows you to get in a rhythm and just keep getting practice. We were really used to playing together by the end of the weekend, so we knew it was all coming together." The second seeded duo's three wins did not come easily, especially in the second round where Middlebury's Ariella Neville and Sandy Spring battled them before falling 8-6. "Middlebury looked really strong out there this weekend, and our match was definitely no exception," Nordstrom said. Saeed's journey to the top for her Flight C singles crown was no small task either. The fourth seed in her bracket, Saeed was able to win four matches over the course of the weekend on her way to the title. "I was totally zoning in," Saeed said. "I am playing the best I've ever played right now, honestly." On her way to the win, Saeed was faced with one, somewhat awkward challenge. In the semifinal, she had to face teammate and second seed Lisa Miller. Miller had beaten two straight opponents without losing a single game. Saeed beat her teammate 6-2, 6-1. However, it was not as satisfying for her as it would have been had the victory come against an opponent from another team. "That was certainly a little weird playing my own teammate in a tournament format like that," Saeed said. "It was definitely interesting." In other singles action, Lejb won once and then lost as the number four seed in Flight A. Freshman Becky Bram also won once and lost in the same flight. In Flight B, junior Barclay Gang won twice before bowing out in the semis. Nordstrom won once and then lost in the same flight. As for the other doubles match ups, in Flight B, the second seeded team of Gang and sophomore Neda Pisheva was upset by Middlebury's Nina Popel and Jenna Siegel 8-3. In Flight C, the top seeded team of Saeed and sophomore Ashley Weisman won once before falling in the semis to Williams' Brittany Binet and Alexandra McClennan. All in all, though, the things they worked on at practice last week translated well into play on the Williams courts this weekend. "For doubles, we worked on closing in to the net, and for singles we tried to have more patience and just play smarter than we did against Amherst," Saeed said. "We hope we got a lot of the little things taken care of going into this weekend." This weekend is the team's annual showdown with Williams. While the Jumbos are already guaranteed a spot in the New England Regionals, beating Williams would be a big boost for seeding, not to mention confidence. "A lot of us were able to play against our opponent for Sunday this past weekend and do well," Nordstrom said. "So we feel we're definitely ready for the challenge." This Sunday at Voute Courts here at Tufts, the Jumbos will find out if they truly are up to the task.
The women's tennis team entered yesterday's match ranked fifth in the nation with a 10-0 cumulative record (fall and spring) and a 2-0 mark for the spring. But any hopes of an undefeated season vanished, as the Jumbos suffered a 6-3 setback at the hands of the nation's number four team, Amherst. "This was just a very disappointing day," coach Jim Watson said. "We were done in by our failure to execute and our lack of patience." The Jumbos' day seemed to be in trouble from the start. The Lady Jeffs' Rachel Holt and Tristan Hedrick took down the Jumbos' top doubles combination of senior co-captain Katie Nordstrom and sophomore Jen Lejb, 8-3. This was only the second time the two had played together since Lejb had been sick. The number two doubles pair of junior Barclay Gang and sophomore Neda Pisheva did not fare much better against Amherst's Kristen Raverta and Hadley Miller. The two sides were going back and forth with the lead, before the Lord Jeffs pair rattled off three straight games to take the win, 8-4. "Both Barclay and I didn't have our best games today," Pisheva said. "I kept making the same mistakes." The lone Tufts doubles tandem to win consisted of senior co-captain Iffy Saeed and sophomore Ashley Weissman. The pair found themselves down 6-5 at one point, but fought back to defeat Amherst's Erin Murphy and Wallis Molchen, 8-6. All in all though, Watson would have liked to see more positives out of the doubles play. "We weren't aggressive enough," Watson said. "We can't win at doubles if we're passive and sitting back on our heels. We worked on it with them, but it just didn't translate into their play." Though the Jumbos were down, they certainly were not out going into the singles matches. Saeed and Weissman's win had brought the score to a more manageable 2-1. But the Jumbos day would not get a whole lot better. Tufts' top player, Lejb, who is ranked 24th nationally, lost to the seventh ranked player nationally, the Jeffs' Raverta, 6-1, 6-2. The trend continued, as the Jumbos number two and three fell as well. Freshman Rebecca Bram was defeated 6-2, 6-0 by Holt and Gang was downed 6-3, 6-2 by Hedrick. The lone Jumbos singles wins came from their captains. Nordstrom triumphed 6-2, 6-3 and Saeed battled to a 7-5, 6-4 decision. Watson felt his team could have risen to the competition better. "We have been working at our games and trying to stay away from unforced errors so much," he said. "Against a team like this, we can't get away with unforced errors or not being aggressive. Wesleyan and Brandeis this Amherst team is not." Tufts faced the Brandeis team Watson referred to on Friday. The team fared much better against the Judges as it pulled out a 7-2 victory. Five of the six singles players were winners, highlighted by Saeed handing Brandeis' Sarah Zonenshine a 6-0, 6-0 sweep. In addition, Lejb upset the number ten singles player in the country, Jane Chae, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. The second and third doubles squads of Pisheva/Gang (8-2) and Saeed/Weissman(8-1), respectively, were successful. The one negative was the team of Nordstrom and Lejb, ranked eighth nationally in doubles, which fell to the Judges' Chae and Vera Chen. "This was the first time Jen and I had played together in a long time," Nordstrom said. "But they fought real hard, and used the faster surface to their advantage. It really was just great to get this win." While the Jumbos' National tournament and "Final Eight" hopes took a hit, they certainly are not dead. The squad will face much of the same competition it saw Tuesday at this Saturday's NESCAC tournament at Williams. The Jumbos finished second at the fall NESCAC tournament behind Amherst but ahead of fellow rival Williams. The team's record now stands at 10-1, 2-1 on the spring.
The women's tennis team, ranked seventh in the nation, picked up where it left off in the fall as it defeated Wesleyan on Sunday. While inclement weather forced the match inside, the Jumbos did not miss a beat as they proceeded to wipe the Gantcher Center floor with the Cardinals to the tune of an 8-1 score. "I definitely thought we were on top of our game," senior co-captain Katie Nordstrom said. "Our aggressiveness definitely got us that win." Intensity was certainly a priority, as none of the matches were exactly ho-hum affairs. One match that especially stood out was the sole Jumbo loss of the day. The doubles team of freshman Becky Bram and Nordstrom lost a 9-8 a tie breaker to Cardinals' Dina Guth and Ashley Brick. "This was the first time Becky and I had played doubles together in a match," Nordstrom said. "Both sides were playing well, and they just happened to come up big at the right time." Besides the one Wesleyan bright spot, the Jumbos had control of the match as their depth was on display. "We were missing our number one and number five singles players (sophomore Jen Lijb and freshman Lisa Miller)," assistant coach Doug Eng said. "What's good for us is we have tremendous depth, so those losses did not make a huge difference." Among those to step up in the absence of key players and win their matches were Bram in the number one slot (7-5,6-4), junior Barclay Gang at number two (6-2, 7-6) and sophomore number six Trina Spear (6-4, 6-0). In addition, seniors Nordstrom (6-4, 6-1), co-captain Iffy Saeed (6-2, 6-3) and Emily Warshauer (6-3, 6-4) played key roles in the win. In doubles, besides the loss by Bram and Nordstrom, Gang and sophomore Neda Pisheva came through (8-4), as did Saeed and sophomore Ashley Weisman (8-3). "They were a very scrappy team," Saeed said. "Nothing came too easily, but all in all we played really well." The match also provided Tufts with an opportunity to use a more aggressive approach. "We want to work on all aspects of our game, our weaknesses included," she said. "So rather than just sitting back on the baseline, a lot of us went to the net and were aggressive with our play. Honestly, we are using matches like these to gear up for the NESCAC championships, and especially for Williams and Amherst." The team will continue its work this weekend, as it heads to the Middlebury Invitational in Vermont where it will play not only NESCAC teams, but New England teams from all divisions. The Invitational does not count towards its record, but the team hopes to succeed regardless and use it as a building block for the rest of the season. "It's a fun tournament," Saeed said. "Teams like (University of New Hampshire) and (University of Vermont) are always there, as well as Hamilton, who we never play in the league. It's an unbelievable amount of practice for the rest of the year, because we basically play all day on Saturday." Besides the fun, Nordstrom referred to the importance of the Invitational. "It's a great time to get away and play as many matches as possible. It definitely helps gear us up for the remainder of the season." As much as it wants to dominate the matches they play in, the squad does not want to peak too early. With the toughest tests later in the season, such performances as Sunday's are not as much about the result, but about the experience of being in close matches and working on strategy. "The team hadn't played competitively for some time before [Sunday]," Eng said. "We're pleased with how it has started, and we want them to get in a groove, but it is important that they peak at the end of the month as opposed to right now." After a successful season opening match, the Jumbos' confidence is obvious. "We're really excited for the rest of the season," Nordstrom said. "We can't wait to show people what we can do."
With one of the more successful fall seasons in school history behind them, the women's tennis team has high aspirations for the coming spring season. After earning an 11th place national ranking at the end of last spring season, the squad came out in the fall and rolled to a perfect 8-0 record and a second place finish at the New England Championships. Led by senior co-captains Katie Nordstrom and Iffy Saeed, the team looks to carry the fall season's magic into 2003. On their way to a stellar fall, the Jumbos not only won every match, but the players only lost three times in the process. Their second place finish at the New Englands was their highest since 1990. Whether they will continue such dominance is a question, considering they have their two toughest opponents, Amherst and Williams, on the schedule this spring. Amherst won New Englands with 41 points, edging out the Jumbos' 36. Two-time defending champion Williams was a close third with 32 points earned at the tournament. "This is definitely the most important part of the season," Nordstrom said. "Amherst and Williams are the two teams in the league closest to us in talent level. We want to get past them and get to Nationals this year." The trek to Nationals will not be led solely by the senior captains. As the number one singles player, sophomore Jen Lijb posted a 9-1 record this fall, bolstering her impressive 17-3 career record. Junior Barclay Gang won the number three singles title at the New England Championships and posted a flawless 10-0 record. In addition, freshmen Becky Bram and Lisa Miller made strong first impressions with records of 10-2 and 9-2, respectively. But at the forefront are team leaders Saeed and Nordstrom, who combined for a glistening 23-0 mark in the fall, as well as the number four and number six singles championships. The squad's best doubles tandem is made up of Lejb and Nordstrom, who went 10-2 and are 22-3 for their careers together. Another powerful combination is made up of Gang and sophomore Neda Pisheva, who went 9-1 in the fall and are 16-4 since the beginning of last year. "Our team is so deep," Nordstrom said. "Playing against such great players in practice every day really makes us better for the matches." Those practices officially started on February 17th, when the team took over the Gantcher Center. But they have not been limited to that date, according to Nordstrom. "We have been getting on courts as much as possible since the end of the fall season. We want to keep ourselves fresh so we'll be ready for when we finally get to go outside again," Nordstrom said. While not exactly worried, the team does express concern over the gap between the two seasons, which are still considered connected. "It's difficult having two seasons so far apart," Nordstrom said. "It's easy to peak at the end of the fall season, but to have to start the whole thing up again and be successful in the spring is a tough task. But I feel we're ready for it." The Jumbo women will open up the new season on Saturday, Mar. 29 at home against Wesleyan. They will then travel to the Middlebury Invitational the next weekend, followed by a trip to Brandeis. As important as those matches are, they are all precursors to the home showdowns with the Lord Jeffs and the Ephs. "We are ranked 7th in the country right now, but we can't let that get to our heads," Nordstrom said. "We just have to take it one match at a time, and get ready for Wesleyan after spring break. After that we will take it from there."
The women's tennis team wrapped up its sensational fall season with a second place finish in the New England Division III Championships at Amherst this weekend. The Jumbos topped Williams, last year's National Champs, while host Amherst won the championships. Four out of six Jumbos were singles finalists, while all three doubles pairs reached the semi-finals. Senior co-captains Katie Nordstrom (four singles) and Iffy Saeed (six singles) led the Jumbo charge. Nordstrom overcame a 0-6 deficit to defeat Amherst number four Paige Lawrence 0-6, 6-1, 10-4, while Saeed cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory against Williams' Brittany Binet. Saeed lost just ten games in four matches on the way to her win. Sophomore Barclay Gang (three singles) battled both a bad case of laryngitis and Trinity's Courtney Sargeant to triumph 6-3, 6-4 in her finals match. "I'm proud of our team for stepping up to the challenge and beating Williams," Gang said. "That just makes us want to work harder for the spring. It pushes us to a level we haven't been at before." Coach Jim Watson was thrilled with the way the team has handled themselves this season. "We sent a message to Amherst," Watson said. "I'm extremely proud. We got over the hump and that really sets us up for the spring mentally." Freshman Lisa Miller (five singles) reached her singles' final but met a roadblock in the form of Williams' Kate Troy, going down 6-4, 6-0. However Miller was not too disappointed with the team's outcome, despite her hard-fought loss. "The past two years the team has finished third," Miller said. "Coming in second can be a really good motivator, particularly coming into spring, when it counts." Individually, the team is on par with Amherst and Williams, she said. Along with the excitement of the second place finish, the Jumbos weekend included off the court highlights as well. Nordstrom was honored by Williams College with the Lindsay Morehouse Memorial Tennis Award. Lindsay Morehouse (Williams '00) tragically lost her life on 9-11-01. The award was created in her memory, to 'acknowledge a player who represents the ideals of sportsmanship, friendliness, character, fair play, and hard work that Lindsay embodied.' "What separates Katie from most other competitors is the rare degree of her friendliness and fairness. She is extremely and always pleasant and is the most fair player we have had on our teams in the past decade," Watson and assistant coach Doug Eng wrote. "The benefit of the doubt always (I do mean ALWAYS) goes to her opponent in true spirit. She never uses gamesmanship on her opponents whether deliberate or not, nor excuses to win or lose. She is a rare individual in our sport or any other sport for that matter." Nordstrom, like the rest of the team, was overwhelmed by the distinction. "When they announced my name I was just so surprised," Nordstrom said. "I couldn't believe they'd even consider me. I just think it's great that they have the award to honor [Morehouse] like that. I'm honored to be the recipient." In other draws, sophomore Jennifer Lejb (one singles) reached the singles quarterfinals before falling to Trinity's Diana Goldman, Lejb's last victim of the fall regular season. Trinity went on to finish tied for fourth place with Brandeis. Freshman Becky Bram (two singles) battled her way to the semi-finals, losing to eventual champion Stephanie Hall of Williams. The opportunity to see Williams and Amherst play prior to the spring season, when the Jumbos will meet both teams for the first time this year, was important. While the defeat of Williams is a giant step towards the coveted first place NESCAC finish in the spring, Amherst looks formidable. The Jeffs claimed the scalps of all three Jumbo doubles teams, which places even greater importance on the singles matches in the spring clash. However, as they have done all season, the women are sure to rise to the challenge, as they seek to improve on last season's 11th place national ranking. Yet while Coach Watson remains focused on the spring season, he cannot help but be pleased with the results the team has produced so far. "It would be great to improve our ranking," Watson said. But "the anticipation of [the spring season] doesn't detract from what the team achieved this fall."
The women's tennis team continued to exercise its on-court dominance, crushing the Bates Bobcats and Colby White Mules last Tuesday and Saturday. Both matches were 9-0 victories for the Jumbos, who have lost just one set (and won all 27 matches) on their way to a 3-0 start this fall. Last Tuesday's meet with Bates displayed the awesome power of the Jumbos. The team did not drop a set, with the closest match being the number one doubles. Sophomore Jennifer Lejb and senior co-captain Katie Nordstrom won it 8-6. "They're a scrappy team," coach Jim Watson said of Bates. "For us to beat them that soundly speaks volumes for us." Nordstrom, who has received treatment for shin splints after each of the last two matches, has shown no ill effects on court. "[Bates] had strong doubles teams, definitely challenges," Nordstrom said. "They were good volleyers. We had to stay on top of our game." Freshman Becky Bram seems to have cemented her status as the team's number two player, putting up consecutive authoritative performances from that position. Bram dropped just three games in disposing of Colby and Bates, and will be searching for more scalps in the coming weeks. Senior co-captain Iffy Saeed also played a commanding match, winning 6-1, 6-0. Senior Emily Warshauer played her first singles match of the season, winning 6-2, 6-2. Nevertheless, Coach Watson will be targeting several aspects of the team's game for improvement. The depth of ground strokes is a major area of focus: coach Watson feels the women are still hitting them too short in the court, allowing opponents the opportunity to approach net and finish off the point. He would also like the Jumbos to look for more opportunities to finish the point at the net. "They hit the ball so hard that they usually get a short ball returned," Coach Watson said. At Saturday's match-up against Colby, the Jumbos battled out some close doubles matches, with the number one pair of Lejb and Nordstrom victorious 8-6. Second pair junior Barclay Gang and sophomore Neda Pisheva won 8-6, while the third team of sophomores Ashley Weisman and Trina Spear were victorious 8-4. Opposite of doubles, Colby offered little resistance in the singles, as the Jumbos trampled their opponents. Bram (number two) and Lisa Miller (number six) dominated, winning 6-1, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-2 respectively, while Gang won 6-1, 6-2 at number three. Nordstrom (four) and Saeed (five) were also victorious, winning decisively 6-2, 6-0 and 6-0, 6-2. The toughest match of the day was number one Lejb's battle against Colby's Sara Hughes. Lejb lost the first set 6-2, however came back in thrilling fashion, winning the final two sets 7-5, 6-3 to finish the Jumbos' clean sweep. "Saturday I was not quite playing my game," Lejb said. "[Against Bates on Tuesday] I stayed aggressive. That's what I was lacking on Saturday." The Jumbos' number one had no trouble against Bates, cruising to a 6-2, 6-0 win against a hard-hitting but overmatched Tara DiVito. "I have complete faith in her," captain Saeed said of Lejb. "Even when she's behind, she always finds a way to get back in it." "I'm looking forward to more of a challenge," freshman Miller said. Miller, who put up with a less-than-enthusiastic Colby opponent on Saturday, played an imposing game against Bates as number four. "She had a very different game, an aggressive one," Miller said. "She had a serve-volley game. Not many girls have that so I had to make an adjustment." The depth of the team continues to inspire confidence. "I can't draw a line between players," Lejb said. However the Jumbos will have to be on their toes against Middlebury (2-0) on Sunday, September 28 at 1pm on the Voute Courts. Middlebury meets Wesleyan on Saturday before heading to Tufts
The women's tennis team opened their season last Tuesday with a crushing defeat of Smith College. A talent-rich Jumbo team defeated Smith 9-0, winning a combined 96 games to 16. The match has the Jumbos riding high as they prepare to take on Colby and Bates this coming week. Currently the varsity squad contains ten players, but coach Jim Watson will refine his roster over the next few weeks. "I think we're a top ten national team," Watson said. "We're solid one through ten." Watson and Assistant Coach Doug Eng will have a tough time deciding whom to select on their team. Eight players competed in the Smith match, including promising freshmen Lisa Miller (Cherry Hills Village, CO) and Rebecca Bram (Winchester, MA), who won their singles matches convincingly 6-1 6-1 and 6-0 6-0 respectively. The eight also featured returning sophomores Jennifer Lejb, Trina Spear and Neda Pisheva, and three seniors _ Emily Warshauer and captains Katie Nordstrom and Iffy Saeed. Injuries should not affect the squad this year as they did last year when a hurting team traveled to the East Region finals. The depth of this year's squad means Watson will have no trouble with finding talent. Aside from the varsity members, the JV squad, who throttled Gordon last week, will provide another strong lineup for the varsity team the build upon. Despite the young team, senior co-captain Iffy Saeed says that in her four years playing for Tufts, the team is stronger this year than in any previous one. "The top ten players are very strong. There is a lot of depth, " Saeed said. The team's number one Jennifer Lejb is coming off a shoulder injury from last year, but her 6-0 6-1 singles victory over Smith's Lauren Kemp showed no lingering effects. Meanwhile, Saeed is approaching Saturday's matchup against Colby and Tuesday's clash with Bates with the aim of refining and working on weaknesses. Since Colby is coming off a 4-3 season in 2001-2002, including a 7-2 setback to the Tufts team, the Jumbos are confident that they will be able to come out of the match as the victors. "I don't think we should have any trouble with them, " Saeed said. Nevertheless, Coach Watson cautioned against being overconfident. "It will be a very competitive match. [Colby] can play. We can't take them lightly," Watson said. With the experience, knowledge, and ability Saeed and Nordstrom bring to the team as captains (the two are a combined 68-30 in singles and 20-5 in doubles), the team should remain pointed in the right direction. Saeed commented that while most of the women play a baseline game, the two upcoming matches, particularly against the less experienced Bates team, will be used to work on taking advantage of the opposition's short balls. This should improve the team's net approach, adding another dimension to its already powerful game. The Bates team finished last season with just two wins in eleven matches, including a 9-0 loss to Tufts. However they carry several promising young players, and opened this season with a 6-3 come-from-behind victory over Babson. Freshman Lisa Miller, who played number two in singles against Smith, is excited about the team's future. "We know that we have to be focused and driven in order to play up to our potential for this season," Miller said. "It is not often that as an incoming freshman you step onto a court with so many talented players who all are working toward one goal." "We hope to win the nationals this year and I love being able to help contribute to that goal, " fellow freshman, Bram agreed. The confidence the pair show may be a sign of things to come for the team, which is seeking its second straight NCAA Tournament berth. The team plays Colby College this Saturday (Sept. 21) at 1 p.m. on the Voute Courts at Tufts. They will clash with Bates on Tuesday Sept. 24 at 4 p.m
The women's tennis team began its season in an impressive fashion on Tuesday, throttling Smith College 9-0. "It was an easy match, but a good match to start out so everybody could feel their rhythm on the court," senior co-captain Iffy Saeed said. The opposition was so weak, in fact, that not a single Tufts player dropped a set. In the six singles matches the Jumbos went a combined 72-9. The team also went a cumulative 24-7 in its three doubles matches en route to three wins. Much of Tuesday's success can be attributed to the squad's depth. Starting with the two senior co-captains Saeed and Katie Nordstrom and continuing through freshmen Lisa Miller and Rebecca Bram, who competed and won in the second and fifth spots respectively against Smith. "(Miller are Bram) are both going to be a huge asset to our team in singles and doubles," Saeed said. "Our team has a huge amount of talent. Our top nine players could play top four at any other NESCAC school." Miller dropped Ashley Kilgore in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1 and then teamed up with senior Emily Warshauer to win a doubles match 8-3. Bram, likewise made a successful collegiate tennis debut, winning 6-0, 6-0 against Joanna Wong. Sophomore Jennifer Lejb solidified her spot as the team's number one player, as she handily defeated Smith's top player, Lauren Kemp, 6-0, 6-1. Nordstrom and Saeed pulled their weight in the middle of the lineup, as the three and four players respectively, winning 6-1, 6-0 and 6-2, 6-3. Sophomore Trina Spear, a second team All-NESCAC selection last year, won her match 6-0, 6-0 against Smith's Mariel Elguero. Although the Jumbos demolished Smith, they don't consider Smith the average opponent they will face during the rest of its season. While Tufts expects other teams, such as Williams and Amherst in the spring season, to pose more of a challenge, it is less concerned with the opposition and more focused on staying healthy. "Last year a lot of people got injured," Saeed said. "So this year one of our main goals is to stay healthy because we have a fall and spring season." While the main hurdles of the season come in the spring, the team has not lost sight of the near future. The goal for the fall season is to play well in the New England Championships on Oct. 18-20. "For the fall season, everyone must work to peak for New Englands," Saeed said. "But in the long-term, I think we definitely have a shot at winning Nationals this year." The team's next match will be on Sept. 21, at home, against Colby.
The good news for the women's tennis team is that it finished the year as the 11th ranked team in the country after going 11-3 (spring and fall seasons combined). But now the squad has the pressure of living up to the hype it created last year. Making the situation easier, however, is the fact that only one senior, Erika Lee, was lost to graduation. Senior co-captain Katie Nordstrom, who has been rotated in and out of the number one position on the team since freshman year, will once again lead the team. Although the nationally ranked Nordstrom has played excellent tennis her entire career, she still has something to prove after playing as number three in last season's New England Invitational, where she placed third, losing to Kate Troy of Williams in the semifinals. Joining Nordstrom as one of the team's leaders is sophomore Jennifer Lejb, who finished the season placing second in the New England Invitational as Tufts number one player. Other rising sophomores contributed to last year's success, including Heidi Kashani and Neda Pisheva. Kashani finished the season as the number four player on the team and earned the top seed at the New England Invitational before losing in the quarterfinals. Pisheva and sophomore Trina Spears alternated competing as the number six player for most of the season before Pisheva emerged as the representative for the New England Invitational. After being seeded third, Pisheva battled to the semifinals before eventual champion Heather Cole of Amherst defeated her. Senior co-captain Iffy Saeed prospered as the squad's number five player last season but lost to Jasmine Bradley of Williams, in the finals of the New England Invitational. Coach Jim Watson will be looking for big things of Saeed during her senior season as points that Saeed racks up in the fifth spot are just as important as points that her teammates might rack up in the one through four positions. For her play last season, Saeed was named to the All-NESCAC team. Joining Saeed as All-NESCAC performers was Spear, who dominating the conference's number six players. Although she did not play as the team's number six in the New England Invitational, Spears fought to earn an All-Conference selection through the "B" division. An often-overlooked ingredient of a team's success is doubles play. In the NESCAC Tournament last fall, Pisheva teamed with was junior Barclay Gang to snag second place in the "B" doubles to earn All-NESCAC honors. If the team hopes to improve upon last year's success, the squad must dethrone back-to-back NESCAC champion Williams. With a core of returning players, this could be the year that the Jumbos finally overtake the Ephs.
