The women's tennis team (7-2) dominated on Saturday at the Pizzitola Center, beating both Seton Hall and Quinnipiac, 7-0. The team won all 18 matches and had 13 different players contribute to the team effort.
"With only one senior graduating from last year and five first-year players arriving, we knew we were going to have a deep squad, so I tried to put together a schedule that would allow us to play as many players as possible throughout the spring," Head Coach Paul Wardlaw wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. "We are currently playing nine players in the lineup when we travel, so we're already making sure there are playing opportunities for the players."
Seton Hall was no challenge for the Bears. Sara Mansur '09 and Cassandra Herzberg '12 confirmed they are a dominating doubles team, winning 8-1. The second doubles tandem of Emily Ellis '10 and Kathrin Sorokko '10 - who usually play third doubles - and the third doubles team of Julie Flanzer '12 and Catherine Stewart '12 also controlled the courts, winning 8-4 and 8-3, respectively.
The singles players didn't let up on their opponents, either. Bianca Aboubakare '11 played first singles and effortlessly won, 6-0, 6-0.
Against Quinnipiac, Aboubakare also won her singles match, 6-3, 6-1, as well as her doubles match with Herzberg, 8-3. The other doubles wins came from second doubles Ellis and Sorokko, 8-5, and third doubles Alexa Baggio '09 and Stewart in a closer match, 8-7.
"I've been most impressed with our third doubles team of Kathrin Sorokko and Emily Ellis," wrote Wardlaw. "The two juniors are good friends off the court and have become a really cohesive team on-court. They've both come in for extra training individually and together and their hard work has clearly paid off. I would say right now they are playing the best pure doubles of our three teams based on how they are moving and controlling court position."
Mansur, Flanzer, Stewart, Ellis and Marisa Schonfeld '11 all easily beat their opponents in their singles matches, ending Saturday's victorious doubleheader.
"We'll continue to focus on our doubles as we prepare for (UMass) as our improved doubles play will decide most of our Ivy matches this spring," Wardlaw wrote. "The team will also continue to build on our attacking skills in singles. I like where we are at this time of year, and I'm most impressed with how strong our team chemistry is. This is easily one of the best 'teams' I've coached."
The Bears will host UMass next Tuesday at 4 p.m.
