The women’s tennis team defeated Springfield College 9-0 on Wednesday, improving its spring record to a perfect 7-0. The Cards finished their 2005-2006 dual match schedule with a record of 11-4 and will compete in the NESCAC Tournament.
After starting the spring unsure if the team would even qualify for the NESCAC Tournament, Wednesday’s victory completed captain Suz Ragab’s goal of running the table this spring. Wednesday’s match saw the Cardinals sweep the doubles matches, losing only four games combined, and then taking all six singles matches without dropping a set.
As a team built with six freshmen and just one senior, it was clear that the Cards took from their experiences in the fall, worked hard during the off-season, and came out with a vengeance when the spring schedule began in California over spring break. The Cardinals’ physical talent was matched only by their mental fortitude and fine sources of inspiration.
“Wes women’s tennis is the opiate of the masses,” said Alex Sirois ’09. “Our main philosophy on the court is: Find your self-esteem and be forever free to dream.”
Three Cards finished the spring slate with unblemished individual records in both singles and doubles while playing in every match. Ania Preneta ’09 and Madalina Ursu ’09, two of the undefeated starters, combined to become a powerful doubles pair, never coming close to dropping a match all spring. They carried that success over to the singles matches, playing in the second and third spots respectively for most of the season. Preneta was quick to attribute the team’s success to their close relationships.
“We have more chemistry than AP chemistry,” she said.
The third Cardinal to finish the spring undefeated was Ragab. As the only upperclassmen presence on the team this spring, Ragab played solid tennis at third doubles and then split time between the fifth and sixth singles spots. Her final season bettered both her and the team’s best records in her four-year career.
The Cards will head into the NESCAC Tournament with the most confidence of any Wesleyan women’s tennis team in recent history. Williams hosts the tournament April 28-30.
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