Women’s Tennis Undefeated in Florida

The women’s tennis team returned to Middletown on a high note after its training trip to Orlando, Fla. The Cardinals went undefeated in the Sunshine State, securing five wins. The Cardinals out-hit St. Ambrose, Haverford, the University of South Dakota, Bryn Mawr and Christopher Newport. The cast of the women’s tennis team remains strong with the addition of three freshmen and no loss of seniors from last season. With this strong returning roster, the Cards were experienced going into a long week of matches, and this experience was evident in their five-match run.

Sarah Miller ’12 posted an impressive performance with her five wins at number-two singles. Miller won all of her singles matches during the week in straight sets, and in her matches against Haverford and Christopher Newport she won every game in both sets. With this marked dominance, Miller swiftly shut down her opponents. Miller also secured five more wins at number one doubles as she was paired with number-one singles player Anika Fischer ’10.

Meredith Holmes ’10 also had an impressive run in Florida. Holmes overpowered her opponents at number-four singles and went 5-0. Similarly to Miller, Holmes shut down each of her opponents in straight sets during singles play.

The only close match of the week came against Haverford. Dispersing the wins across the ladder, number-two Miller and number-four Holmes led the team with wins in singles play. In doubles play, the Cards secured a 5-4 win over Haverford with a victory from all three pairs.

After the hard-fought match, the Cards didn’t have time to relax in the wake of an exciting win, but instead hit the courts again to match up against South Dakota the following day. The women continued their strong doubles play with three wins in their 8-1 victory. Miller and Simchik earned easy singles wins for the Cards and each powered their way through their matches 6-0, 6-0, denying their opponents any games. 

The team ended their Florida run with decision in their final match against Bryn Mawr and Christopher Newport. The Cardinals swept both teams, 9-0. Wesleyan demonstrated the depth of their ladder with a win at each position.

With the Cardinals’ strong week in Florida, the team improved its dual-match record to 7-3 overall. After a nice break from matches, the Cards should be rested going into their next conference match. The Cardinals play NESCAC rival Colby at home on Sunday and will look to earn their first NESCAC victory of the season against the Mules.