Spring Break
TENNIS: Swinging into form, teams coming on strong during critical midseason stretch
by Mike Prada
Editor in Chief
Sports | 4/17/07
Posted online at 10:18 PM EST on 4/16/07
/ Last updated at 12:36 PM EST on 4/16/07
At this point last year, both tennis teams were struggling heading into the University Athletic Association championships. But this season, the Judges are surging at just the right time.
The women's team has won six of its last seven matches, including 9-0 and 6-3 victories Saturday over Smith College and Mount Holyoke College, respectively. The men's team won five of six matches, including an 8-1 victory over New York University Saturday and a 5-4 victory over Salve Regina University Monday, before losing 6-1 to Division I Boston College Sunday.
The women's team improved to 8-6 on the season and 2-1 in the UAA, while the men's team is 9-7 and 3-0 in conference play. The women's match against Colby College Sunday was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Last spring, both squads had promising starts before going into late-season tailspins. After starting 6-1, the men's team lost five of seven matches and eventually finished last at UAA championships. The women had a midseason three-game winning streak, but followed it up with a four-game skid and a seventh-place finish at UAAs.
But after struggling early this spring, both teams appear to be playing their best tennis coming into the UAAs.
"There's no excuse to not be playing well at this point in the year, because we've been building up to these next two weekends," coach Ben Lamanna said.
In their victory over Mount Holyoke, the women won two of the three doubles matches. Colleen Donnelly '08 and Gabrielle Helfgott '09 secured an 8-0 shutout over seniors Aleksandra Mihailovic and Ashley Fallon. Brandeis then picked up victories at four of the six singles spots to provide the margin of victory.
"The theme of the day for us was energy, and we showed a lot of it from the start and set a tone throughout the match," assistant coach Ethan Branum said.
After winning all three doubles matches in their shutout of Smith, the Judges won four singles matches in straight sets. Donnelly defeated Smith junior Seiko Fuji 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, and Katz beat freshman Miyu Kikuchi 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.
The women's team has won six of its last seven matches, including 9-0 and 6-3 victories Saturday over Smith College and Mount Holyoke College, respectively. The men's team won five of six matches, including an 8-1 victory over New York University Saturday and a 5-4 victory over Salve Regina University Monday, before losing 6-1 to Division I Boston College Sunday.
The women's team improved to 8-6 on the season and 2-1 in the UAA, while the men's team is 9-7 and 3-0 in conference play. The women's match against Colby College Sunday was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Last spring, both squads had promising starts before going into late-season tailspins. After starting 6-1, the men's team lost five of seven matches and eventually finished last at UAA championships. The women had a midseason three-game winning streak, but followed it up with a four-game skid and a seventh-place finish at UAAs.
But after struggling early this spring, both teams appear to be playing their best tennis coming into the UAAs.
"There's no excuse to not be playing well at this point in the year, because we've been building up to these next two weekends," coach Ben Lamanna said.
In their victory over Mount Holyoke, the women won two of the three doubles matches. Colleen Donnelly '08 and Gabrielle Helfgott '09 secured an 8-0 shutout over seniors Aleksandra Mihailovic and Ashley Fallon. Brandeis then picked up victories at four of the six singles spots to provide the margin of victory.
"The theme of the day for us was energy, and we showed a lot of it from the start and set a tone throughout the match," assistant coach Ethan Branum said.
After winning all three doubles matches in their shutout of Smith, the Judges won four singles matches in straight sets. Donnelly defeated Smith junior Seiko Fuji 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, and Katz beat freshman Miyu Kikuchi 6-2, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.
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