Bulldog tennis squads start with a flourish

What happens when a team is confident about its strength and potential half a year before its regular season starts? Its opponents start quaking in their boots. Tennis squads who are unlucky enough to face the Bulldogs this year should perhaps start training harder, for Eli tennis is on the rise.

Most of the courts by the Connecticut Tennis Center have been filled since the beginning of classes with Bulldog tennis players shaping up for the current fall season and the upcoming spring season. Both teams expect to do extremely well this year, as they combine veteran players' strengths with freshman talent.

The women's tennis team, which boasted of no seniors last year, hopes to draw upon the experience of returning players to build on last year's record. "I think that we have an amazing team," Christina Blodgett, CC '00. said. "We have a lot of depth from the top to the bottom." The three seniors on the squad, captain Sara Naison-Phillips, BK '99, Somer Khan-larian, SY '99, and Naomi Zeff, SM '99, will anchor a solid squad that also includes several talented freshmen.

Keeping the squad healthy will be essential this year. Several injuries have already occurred this fall, and further mishaps must be avoided for the squad to have a successful spring season.

Last weekend's competition at the Penn Invitational followed a 6-3 win at Boston College in the opener of the fall season for the lady Bulldogs. Winners at Boston College included Naison-Phillips and Cynthia Obsitnik, ES '01, both in singles matches.

The spring season, during which the team plays most of its dual matches, is the season that counts toward standings. Until then, players will focus on improving match toughness as they keep their eyes on the Ivy crown.

The men's squad has the same high aspirations and expectations. Returning players anticipate a stellar season, and the entire team hopes to improve upon last year's 15-6 overall finish and fourth-place ranking in the league.

"It would almost be a disappointment not to make the NCAA regionals," David Beynet, ES '99, said. "This is the strongest team we've had in my four years here."

The men's team hosted the Yale Invitational on Sat., Sept. 26 and Sun., Sept. 27, competing against squads from Dartmouth, Princeton, and Harvard. Bulldog winners included Beynet, Scott Mayo, BR '00, and Greg Royce, SY '01, in singles matches, as well as Royce and Scott Carlton, JE '01, in doubles.

Although the men's team graduated two seniors last year, this year's squad will doubtless be strengthened by a solid foundation of returning players. The older players hope to show the newer players what a great season looks like. "We didn't do as well as we'd hoped [last year]," Royce said. "We don't want to settle for second place this year."

The team is using the results and performances of the fall season to determine line positions for the upcoming season. "It's a good way to figure out where we stand on the team," Beynet said. For players who decided to use the summer months as a break away from tennis, the fall season is a good chance to get back into shape and return to a competitive mindset before the crucial spring season. "It's really exciting to play again," Royce added. "When I'm on the court now, I'm having a lot of fun."

The men's and women's tennis squads are primed to capitalize on their uniqueness and talent as the fall segments of their seasons progress.

Photos of Sara Naison-Phillips, BK '99, and Chris Shackleton, CC '02, by Julia Tiernan.

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