Sophomores spearhead Bulldog tennis charge

By Albert Chen

On Fri., Feb, 14, the top three singles players on the women's tennis team made it official: there will be no sophomore slump. But for Sara Naison-Phillips, BK '99, Somer Khanlarian, SY '99, and Naomi Zeff, SM '99, last week's 8-1 thumping of Massachusetts was not meant as a statement but merely another step towards Ivy League title.

Last spring, the three sophomores stormed onto the Ivy women's tennis scene, combining for a 30-15 record. Naison-Phillips and Khanlarian, who played in the one and two spots for the '95-'96 Lady Bulldog squad, notched All-Ivy honors along the way, while Zeff finished with a team best 11-4 singles record. Not bad for a trio of freshmen.

"The three are gut-wrenching, very tough, and very experienced competitors," said third-year coach Meghan McMahon, BK '87, about the second-year trio. "They came in last year with so much experience, so many tournaments having been played among the three of them. And this year, they're already in the odd position of being the elders, the veterans on the team."

Indeed, second-year captain Katherine Rhee, BR '97, is the lone exception in a roster otherwise filled with sophomores and freshmen. With such a young group, Naison-Phillips, Khanlarian, and Zeff represent an upperclasss core and have stepped into leadership roles. "They had tremendous seasons last year," Rhee said. "But this season, they have a better sense of what it means to be a leader, and with their example of their work ethic, the freshmen have great role models."

"They've been very helpful in practices on the courts," Jaclyn Fu, MC '00, added. "And off the courts, they've been great friends."

At the outset of last season, the talented trio boasted spectacular credentials, each coming from a different region and playing with a different style. All three competed nationally at junior tournaments. Naison-Phillips, from Brooklyn, NY, arrived having just won the Pegasus Award, honoring the top New York City high school athlete in each sport. She uses a smart, controlled style of play to wear down her opponents. "She's definitely got that Bulldog mentality," McMahon said. She simply will not lose."

In Des Moines, Iowa, Zeff, known for her controlled baseline work, which is now complimented by a more polished net game, was a member of two state championship teams. Khanlarian, hailing from Greensboro, NC, was an All-Conference performer. "Somer is very aggressive," McMahon said. "She hits the ball hard and early, and just crunches opponents. She probably leads the team in short matches."

But despite their numerous individual honors, the transition from high school superstar to college athlete was not smooth or easy. However, all three acknowledged the benefits of playing at this level. "At Juniors, you're out for yourself," Zeff said."The college game is completely different." Her teammates agreed wholeheartedly. "The national circuit was cutthroat. Here, you have the support of the team, and you work for the good of the team," Khanlarian added.

The Bulldogs have come together, as evidenced by their strong showing against UMass. After next Wednesday's match with Seton Hall, the women will prepare for the grueling month ahead. Despite the challenge that March poses, the team is very confident. At a meeting just after winter break, the players agreed that there was one main objective this season: the Ivy crown.

"It's a long road," Naison-Phillips said. "And with Harvard and Brown it's a difficult one, too. But we've got a great shot at the title if we continue to focus."

"It was a productive off-season," Zeff added. "We've all been working really hard. We've got tremendous potential on this team."

McMahon, a three-time All-Ivy and All-America selection while playing for Yale from 1984-1987, said, "I feel great about the team...there is one simple goal--to win it all. With a deeper team this year, we'll surely contend and be hard to slow-down." With sophomores Maria Parad, BK '99, and Denitza Blagev, MC '99, and freshmen Barbara Ellis, BK '00, Kirsten Gross, DC '00, Christina Blodgett, CC '00, and Fu rounding out the roster, the Elis are fielding their deepest team in years.

Eli successes will certainly hinge on the play of the trio of sophomores, who did not drop one set in their individual matches last week. "It's a joy watching them grow," McMahon said. "They were my first recruits," she proudly added. "And they will be Ivy superstars."

It appears that they already are.

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