Amherst defeated Wesleyan University at the Little III Tournament last year before losing a heartbreaker to Williams College later in the day. One early season goal for Coach Peter Robson's team is to fare better against some of the Ivy League competition this year.
The Jeffs are fortunate to return most players from last season and are led by an experienced and talented senior class which includes Chris Kane, Roger Boulay, David Bauer and returning co-captains Carlo Valdesolo and John Holodnak. Other seasoned players include sophomore Mike Strong, who played number one singles for much of last season, and looks to improve on his impressive freshman year. Strong will likely compete for the number one spot again this year with Valdesolo likely playing number-two singles.
Sophomores Gifford Sommer-camp and Cushing Donelan have also worked hard in the offseason and returned as better players this year. Both have looked impressive in preseason play, and both should compete for top-five positions this year. Junior Andrew Merle and sophomore Brian Lawrence also return for Amherst; both played consistently in the top nine last season. Freshman Nick Haslett also looks to contribute to the 2002-03 squad. Haslett played with Strong in high school, and Strong believes that the freshman could be another force for the Jeffs this season.
"We have tons of depth, every player can step up and play well. Last season was a little bit of a letdown, we expected more victories than we came out with and lost some close matches," said Strong. "But our whole team has been working really hard in the offseason, and this season we have the depth and talent to compete with the top teams in Division I."
The Jeffs open their season with two home matches against NESCAC rivals. Amherst hosts Tufts University on Dec. 3 and Colby College on Dec. 7. Hopefully the 2002-03 squad will be able to improve on last year's trying season.