Brittney Cangemi '13 drives a backhanded shot over the net this past Sunday. Photo by Tanaha Simon.
The women’s tennis team has started off their season well. The group has gone 2-1, including a 9-0 sweep of Springfield College in the Camel’s home opener and a 7-2 win over Babson College in two non-conference matches. In the coming two weeks they will also play five more vital NESCAC conference matches.
The NESCAC is widely regarded as the highest level of Division III tennis for women. According to CollegeTennisOnline.com, three of the top five women’s teams in the country belong to the NESCAC. “Usually when people hear that we play Division III tennis, they don’t take us very seriously,” explained Jen Herbert ’13, “but in reality, we have a group of girls that could have easily played for Division I or Division II programs.”
One of the team’s goals this season is to get into the conference playoffs. Women’s tennis requires four NESCAC wins in order to be eligible, and though they’re starting off 0-1, they still have their eyes set on a tournament berth.
“We really look good this year,” said co-captain Becca Heupel ’11. “Everything we’ve done has been amped up. We’ve been practicing and playing with a lot of intensity and I think it’s going to pay off.”
One of the main factors influencing how hard the team has been working is second year coach Chris O’Brien. “At the start of the season we had a two hour-long meeting where we set our season-long goals,” Herbert explained. “Coach has been emailing each of us about our goals to make sure we’re on pace to achieve them.” To this end, O’Brien had the team spend their offseason focusing on fitness and weightlifting to prepare for their tough schedule.
Another important aspect of this group is their chemistry. Co-captain Caroline Barone ’11 said, “We all get along really well, and we’re definitely better as a team than last year.” This chemistry comes from a sense of camaraderie and friendship that has grown over time. “A lot of us have been together for a long time,” Heupel added. “We also have five sophomores and no freshmen so we all know each other really well.”
This intensity and closeness can be seen in the way the team spent their past spring break. From March 17 to March 22, the team played matches in both Phoenix and Glendale, Arizona. During this time, the team put their stamina and will to the test.
“We played nine matches in eleven days and some girls had to play two matches on the same day,” said Barone. Heupel boasted, “We played in 95 degree heat against a lot of Division I and II schools and we did pretty well. There were some tough matches and I think we came out of it ready for conference play.”
The Camels will continue their run for a playoff bid at home on April 13 against Tufts University and on April 20 in Hartford against Trinity College. •
