This fall, the Jeffs made important steps towards attaining their lofty goals again this season.
The biggest question facing the Jeffs this year was how they were going to replace Jamie Cohen '01, arguably the best player in the nation for the past three years. Cohen had anchored the number one singles slot for her four years at Amherst and she was leaving a large void behind.
Luckily, the Jeffs were never a team solely dependent on one person. Co-captain Stephanie Fong '02 has emerged as the Jeffs top player this fall, occupying the top singles and doubles slots. Fong has performed well throughout the fall, even while nursing a back injury, and has provided important leadership for a young team.
Susanna Burke '03 has played in the second singles spot and has continued her upward rise. As a freshman, Burke occupied the number four singles slot for most of the season, and last year she moved up again, this time to the number three. After another promotion this year, Burke has proven that she belongs, playing well in all of the Jeffs' matches.
While Fong and Burke have played at the top of the singles ladder, it is newcomer Rachel Holt '05 that has made the biggest impact on the team. In dual meets this fall, Holt is undefeated. Holt started the season in the sixth singles slot, but by now she is firmly entrenched at the number three spot.
"Rachel has come in as a freshman and really played well," said Fong. "We only expect her to get better as we get closer to the spring season."
Another Jeff to show improvement has been Vass Kozoulina '02. Kozoulina has pulled out a number of gritty matches, including one against Williams College, and she has turned into one of the Jeffs' most reliable players.
In the Jeffs' first match of the season they defeated Trinity College in a match that was much closer than many expected. After the Jeffs won two of the three doubles matches, they were only able to split in the singles draw. Luckily, they escaped East Hartford with a 5-4 win.
Many of the matches went the full three sets on the day, including that of Co-captain Heather Cole '02. Cole was able to overcome a one set deficit as she rallied and won the final two sets, giving the Jeffs the fifth and final point that they needed to win the match.
Next up for the Jeffs was a highly anticipated match against Skidmore College. Skidmore has won their league title for the last six years, so it was expected that they would provide a stiff non-league challenge for the Jeffs.
After the close call at Trinity the day before, the Jeffs came out determined not to let the match be that close again, and they buried Skidmore, 9-0. With Fong out of the lineup due to a back injury, the rest of the Jeffs moved up a spot in the ladder, and they did so without missing a beat. Of the six singles matches, only one of them even threatened at going into three sets, and generally the Jeffs cruised to victory.
After these two early season matches the Jeffs traveled to Williamstown, Mass. to take part in the Rolex/ITA New Englands.
Fong, who had two weeks to rest her injury, was the star for the Jeffs. She reached the finals in both the singles and doubles draws-playing with Cole in doubles-but unfortunately came up the bridesmaid in each case. Holt also continued her strong play, as she made it to the semifinals, where she was sent packing by Fong.
After the Rolex tournament the Jeffs quickly disposed of both Bates and Bowdoin Colleges, sweeping the opposition in each case, but they stumbled in the much anticipated showdown against Williams.
Last weekend the Jeffs travelled to Williams again, and they ended up going home on the short side of a 5-4 loss. After taking the second and third doubles matches, the women only needed to split the singles play to come home with a win, but they fell one game short.
Kozoulina and Holt took home wins in the singles draw, while the team of Kozoulina and Paige Lawrence '03, as well as Burke and Holt, took home victories in doubles play.
"Knowing that we came so close to beating the defending national champions is just going to make us work harder," said Fong. "We can beat them."
Up next for the Jeffs is the New England Championships, an event that they will host this weekend. Last year the Jeffs came in second behind Williams and they will look to avenge that result with a win this year.