Women’s tennis falls in fierce battle of tennis powerhouses

The women’s tennis team traveled to Amherst last Saturday to play the 2nd-ranked Lord Jeffs. It took more than four hours to determine a winner, with the Jeffs eventually clinching a 5-4 win that so nearly belonged to the Panthers. Trailing 2-1 after the doubles play, Amherst rallied to win four of six singles matches to avoid defeat.

For the Panthers, it is their third straight loss after winning seven consecutive matches and drops their record to 12-4 and 4-3 in NESCAC play. Despite the recent string of losses, head coach Mike Morgan continues to be pleased with his team’s performance.

“The bottom line is that the team played with tremendous heart and fight against a very talented Amherst team,” said Morgan.

“In a funny way, I think everyone felt like it was the start of the season.  It was a great step to move forward playing like this, but everyone knows that we have plenty of really tough challenges lying ahead.”

Senior co-captain Jamie Haar ’10 reiterated Morgan’s sentiments. “The match against Amherst was a great one in that I think we played the way we know how to play,” said Haar.

“Even though we had a hiccup against Tufts last weekend, we didn’t let that get in the way of playing some great tennis. We had the win at our fingertips, but we were unable to convert in the last two matches.”

The Panthers were points away from victory. Doubles team Victoria Aiello ’12 and Anna Burke ’12 were defeated 9-8 (7-3) in a tiebreaker. It was one of three tiebreakers the Panthers would lose on the day, accompanying two crucial third set losses that would have swung the result in Middlebury’s favor.

Four more points for Aiello and Burke would have sealed a victory for the Panthers. But the Jeffs had their own plans as Amherst rallied late with two three-set victories to ensure the second seed in the NESCAC tournament where Middlebury hopes to capitalize.

“This experience of coming so close to beating the second-ranked team in the country I think will help us in the NESCAC tournament in regards to playing under pressure,” said Haar.

“Everyone competed well and the energy was high. If we compete the way we did against Amherst, I think we can beat anyone.”

Haar was one of the bright spots for the Panthers in the performance against the Jeffs, as she won both her doubles match with first-year player Alexandra McAtee ’13 and her singles match later in the afternoon.

Like many others, Haar credits much of the success of the team to its younger players, which features a very talented first-year class.

“I think the underclassmen — especially the first-years — handled the pressure with a lot of poise and left everything out on the court,” she said.

The Panthers return to Amherst this Friday to compete in the NESCAC tournament.