Women's Tennis Tripped by Trinity

Author: El Van Woert

The annual Spring Break trip brought the women's tennis team to Hilton Head, S.C., where it put in thousands of serves, hundreds of games and earned five dynamic wins in five matches. The competition included Niagara University, Carleton College, Luther College, Salisbury University and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Middlebury's closest match, while still decisive, was against Luther, the outcome of which was 6-3. The Panthers handled Wisconsin-Eau Claire, which was nationally ranked at number nine last year, thus coming away with a heightened appreciation for the quality of their own New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). Dependable number one player Sandy Spring '04 had a range of competitive and hard-fought matches, while following seeds Lauren Ready '05 and Kristin Baker '04 earned longevity awards in their solid, though lengthy performances.

Still, the real reward of the trip was a renewed bond of an already tight team, and confidence building for the month ahead. "No matter the outcome of any match, everyone's supportive, and genuinely so," said Flynne Templeton '05. "We're extremely close, and always cheer one another on, and this closeness is definitely an aiding factor in matches."

As for the trip itself, although dominated by tennis, it was interspersed with excursions to the beach, homemade meals, bike rides and other outdoor recreation that would bring any group of spring breakers together, but further molded a team as tight-knit as the women already were.

The start of the home season began on April 2, with an away match at Trinity. As any NESCAC competitor, the Connecticut foe offered a good challenge, handing the Panthers a 5-1 loss. Trinity went to Nationals last year, an opportunity that the Panthers just missed. The experience of Trinity ultimately did the young Panther team in as Middlebury prepares for a busy April.

The Panthers have their Middlebury Invitational home tournament this weekend to look forward to. This individual competition will include all the Middlebury women and the top players from a few area and NESCAC schools. Competition Friday starts at 4 p.m., and goes from 9 a.m. throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. All are encouraged to come and watch the extraordinary showcase of talent and cheer on the Middlebury women's tennis team.