Spring Preview: Women's Tennis

2012 Season: 5-11 (1-5 Patriot League); Lost to Colgate 4-0 in Patriot League Championships

Key Players: 

Co-Captain Liza Blank ‘14- Singles and 

Doubles

Co-Captain Lucy Bass ‘14—Singles and 

Doubles

Alison Dally ‘13—Singles and Doubles

What’s Changed: Changes in the line-up for this season include senior Alison Dally ‘13 returning after being abroad last spring, Austin Denesuk ‘14 going abroad this season and missing play, and Jordyn Spellberg ‘15 coming back to play from an injury. The Leopards are replacing two graduated seniors from last spring with three freshmen, including Caroline Nixon ‘16, who was a doubles state champion in Pennsylvania during her sophomore year of high school.

What’s the Same: Bass and Blank provide stability for a team in need of some semblance of consistency.

Strengths: Conditioning. The Leopards are dedicated to practicing daily – even if it means practice time is 9:30 to 11:30 p.m.

Weaknesses: Time management is the team’s biggest obstacle.

“We lift two times a week, practice in the evening, and do our school work on top of that,” Blank said. “It takes a lot of focus, and I think all athletes can relate to this.

What to Watch For: How the women adapt to the series of changes dealt to them over the course of the past semester or so. The first indication will have come on Thursday against Saint Peter’s University, after this issue had already gone to press. 

Patriot League Contenders: The Army women are picked as the favorites in the Patriot League conference after winning their eighth consecutive Patriot League title, with Navy and Bucknell the favorites to challenge

Key Games:

03/14 @ St. Joseph’s

03/23 @ Army

04/13 vs. Navy

The Last Word: “The team is looking stronger this year, which I think gives us more confidence,”--Amanda Kusnierz ‘15

 “In the end, it’s each player’s abilities combined that make up the team, and that’s the most important part.”—Liza Blank ‘14