Bulldogs still searching for Ivy consistency

By Sarah Holley

This spring it seems as if two things are capable of changing at the drop of a hat: the weather and the success of Yale athletics. The women's tennis team is no exception; this week has been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs.

The Bulldogs went into last weekend's play with an impressive 9-2 overall record and 1-0 Ivy mark. Riding the momentum from a decisive defeat of Princeton, the squad traveled to Syracuse, where they downed the Orangemen 7-2. Continuing on to Cornell for their second Ivy contest, the Elis appeared to be in a prime position to claim the match after splitting singles with wins from Sara Naison-Phillips, BK '99, captain Katherine Rhee, BR '97, and Jacklyn Fu, MC '00. In the end, however, Cornell proved too much to handle, and the Big Red swept all three doubles matches, claiming a 6-3 victory.

The Bulldogs next faced off against Brown at home. Expecting a tough match against the league favorite, Naison-Phillips (11-3, 2-0 Ivy) spearheaded the Yale attack at the number one singles position. After racing to a 4-1 lead in the first set, though, Naison-Philips' play began to slip, allowing her opponent to take the set in a tie breaker, 7-3. But Naison-Phillips was not about to give up.

"I tried to put [the first set] behind me and start over," she said. "I just focused on concentrating on every single point. I knew if I didn't, she would run away with the match."

The strategy worked. Naison-Phillips delivered a hard-fought second set that finished 6-3 in her favor. Not a stranger to three set matches, Naison-Phillips easily put her opponent away in the third with a score of 6-1.

"She got frustrated after I won the second set," Naison- Phillips said. "I've been playing really well in the third set. I've been motivated a lot by my team. Matches have gone so long that the rest of the team is there cheering me on." The first Bulldog on the sidelines of Naison-Phillips match was Rhee (5-5, 2-0 Ivy), who captured the only other singles win for Yale. As the captain and sole upperclassman on the team, Rhee's wins do more than just add points to the score.

"Having Kat on the court next to me really motivates me," said Naison-Phillips. "I see her winning and it makes me want to win that much more."

"Kat was the first one off the court and really set the tone for the match," coach Meghan McMahon, BK '87, said. "She pumped up the rest of the team."

"As the only senior on a team of freshman and sophomores, she is a big role model for us," Naomi Zeff, SM '99, commented.

Unfortunately, even Rhee's enthusiastic cheering was not enough to turn the tables in the other singles match-ups. Somer Khanlarian, SY '99, fell at number two, while on the next court, Zeff struggled with her serve throughout the match. Fu and Kristin Gross, DC '00, were also unable to muster the necessary shots to put away the Bears.

Heading into the doubles competition with a two match disadvantage, the team, still had a chance to defeat the Bears. But again, Yale could not quite get their game together and dropped two of the three matches. A bright spot for the Bulldogs came at the number two position, as Rhee and Barbara Ellis, BK '00, recently back from injury, notched a Yale victory.

The Bulldogs have proven inconsistent in their doubles contests. Though compiling an overall winning record of 22-16, the play has been sporadic. Zeff attributes this to the emphasis placed on singles play.

"It has to do with the fact that growing up, singles is a much bigger deal. You learn how to be more mentally tough in singles, but not mentally tough in doubles," she said. "We need to figure out the right mindset for doubles."

While the last two matches have hurt Yale's chance for the Ivy League title, the team remains optimistic. "We gave Brown their toughest match of the year," McMahon said, citing the players' work ethic and heart as the key to the strength of the squad. Her players agree that team cohesiveness is important and integral to the Bulldog cause.

"I think the team pulled together this year," Naison-Phillips said. "Even when we lose, I still feel really confident that we will come back and win the next match."

Yale is already moving past the losses and looking toward the competitions before them. They have four matches left, all at home. The toughest challenges should come from Harvard and Penn. "If we can go out and compete the way we did against Brown and play with a lot of heart, we have a good chance to win," Naison-Phillips said.

THIS NEEDS AN ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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