Sports
W. tennis sweeps three-match homestand ahead of season’s close
By Daphne Assimakapoulos ’17
April 28, 2016
Tags sports
After a hot start to the spring which saw them win eight matches in a row at one point, the Hamilton women’s tennis team had hit a rough spot. But despite entering this past weekend on a three-match losing skid, the Continentals bounced back with a vengeance to take three wins in a row against Le Moyne, Ithaca and Trinity College.
The team can now boast an impressive 14-5 overall record, and have climbed back up to 17th place in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association regional rankings.
The big 6-3 win against NESCAC opponent Trinity stemmed from strong performances in doubles and singles matches. The top doubles pairing of Isabella Schoning ’16 and Winnie Tang ’17 won their doubles match, with both going on to win their singles matches as well. Schoning pummeled her opponent by a 6-0, 6-0 score from the fourth position, while Tang won 6-1, 6-4 from the third position.
Schoning reflected that the key to success against Trinity stems from the team’s depth, which “makes it easier for us to win in the back half of the lineup. Our chance of success is greatly increased if we win at least two of the three doubles because then we only need to win three out of six singles to win the match.”
Remarking on the weekend, she also noted, “Everyone played great tennis and there were some really close matches, both singles and doubles, that went to tiebreakers.”
The first match of the weekend against Ithaca brought a significant landmark for the senior, as Schoning broke the program record for most singles wins. With a straight set victory from the fourth spot on Saturday, she earned her 57th career singles win and passed Lindsey Schantz ’03. After the weekend, Schoning has a career record of 58-29, including a 19-6 mark this year.
Elsewhere for the Continentals, Samantha Weeks ’19 swept her singles opponents on the day, and also earned a victory in her doubles match with Claire Keyte ’17. Jane Barry ’19 took home a win in a singles match to improve her season record to 12-4.
The squad has been competing in one of the strongest seasons in recent years, despite a young roster and a challenging set of opponents. Five first-years make up the roster of 10, and the senior class comprised of Schoning, Emily Chan ’16 and Mei Lin Pratt ’16, has been guiding the first-year class to their full potential.
In particular, Lindsay Jadow ’19 and Jane Haffer ’19 have typically been playing from the top two spots in singles matches. Playing young players against top competition has led to a few rough stretches, but in general, the first-year duo has held its own. The two are a combined 9-7 in singles matches from the No. 1 spot (including a 7-3 record from Haffer) and 5-6 from the No. 2 spot. With Keyte also rotating into the top two singles spots, the top of the Continentals’ lineup appears well-stocked for the 2017-18 season.
In reflecting on the team’s youth, Tang explained, “This year we have five freshman which means half of the team is very young. The seniors on the team are more role models, showing them how to behave maturely in their matches.”
Looking ahead to the final matches against Connecticut College, Tang expressed confidence in the squad, noting, “We will keep our positive attitude, play our game and we will be fine.”
“Our last match against Connecticut College will be a close one,” added Schoning. “It is important that we come in with the right mindset and be confident and aggressive from the onset. Even when we miss a few balls, we need to keep calm and still go for our shots. Overall, we need to get ready for a battle.”
NESCAC competition has been historically tough this season. The Continentals possess a dominant non-conference schedule, losing just one matchup outside the conference against Birmingham Southern over spring break. However, the NESCAC has been the most competitive conference in the nation this season, with five of the top eight teams in the ITA Division III National Rankings.
The Continentals will take on the Camels this Saturday at 10 a.m. on the Gray Tennis Courts. With a win, the Continentals would move past Conn College in the NESCAC standings and earn back-to-back conference wins for the first time all season.