Women's tennis warms up in 9-0 win

Author: Heather Wright

The Middlebury College women's tennis team began their season on Saturday in a match against Brandeis. They decidedly defeated the Owls 9-0 giving the Panthers confidence as they prepare for their spring trip to California.

The Panthers solidly won all nine matches without dropping a single set. Claire Smyser '07 and Amy Roche '07, at number one and two singles respectively, faced relatively challenging opponents but were still able to come out decidedly on top. "Amy Berkman '08 stepped in to play third doubles and did a great job" said Co-Captain Maren Messing '06.

The Panthers were happy to open up their season facing the Owls. Messing said, "Brandeis is solid but much weaker than most of the teams we will face for the rest of the season, so it was a good opportunity for us to work on match play and get rid of early season jitters." It always takes a few matches to get into the season and now the Panthers have an idea of their strengths and weaknesses. They plan on working on their singles play in the upcoming week as they prepare for Spring Break in California where they will face many stronger teams. The women are excited to compete against more challenging opponents, such as Emory and DePauw, who are both ranked top 10 in the nation.

Although the Panthers are a small team this season, they are very capable. They are sure to be a strong contender as they look to defend their NEWITT title from this fall. Their training trip to California will allow the Panthers to see how they stand up against the best division three teams in the country.