Although the score appears to be somewhat lopsided in favor of the Jeffs, each match was competitively played. Each player had to battle hard for her points and everyone on the court showed a great deal of determination and focus in the windy and cool conditions. "One of the best things about this team is that we showed that we have a lot of heart out there," said senior captain Hadley Miller.
Focusing on the doubles play over the past month, the Jeffs' hard work paid off at Middlebury. At first doubles, the tandem of senior Kristen Raverta and sophomore Alicia Menezes played a great match, controlling the net game. The two teamed together to defeat the Panther's number one partnership 8-3.
Unfortunately, the second doubles duo of sophomores Jen Murphy and Monica Snyder had a tough time against their Middlebury opponents. The two were not able to get in a good rhythm or control the net game and fell 8-1.
At third doubles, Miller and sophomore Laura Stein served up their best match of the year to pick up the doubles points. They came out strong and cruised smoothly to an 8-1 victory, playing flawless and fundamental doubles.
"Both teams played fantastic tennis," said junior Caitlin Rhodes. "Our third doubles came out on fire and dominated, and our first doubles ran all the right plays. In both matches we played aggressively and controlled the net."
The highlight of the match was first singles battle between two of the nations' top players, Jeff Kristen Raverta and Panther Amy Roche. Raverta and Roche came out battling and needed a tiebreaker to determine the first set. After falling behind in the tiebreaker 3-6, Raverta showed much determination, fighting back to tie the score. After getting back on serve, Raverta got the break she needed and won the tiebreaker by a score of 10-8. In the second set, Raverta fell behind again. After a 3-0 deficit, Raverta stepped her game up a notch and completely dominated the rest of the set in route to a 6-3 victory. Raverta's win over Roche-the 2005 NESCAC singles champion-makes her one of, if not the best singles player in New England.
"In singles, everyone was trying to balance both aggressive play with patience and control under the windy conditions," said Murphy. "People stepped up when they had to, and we were able to come up with a great team win."
At second singles, Menezes played an amazing match against Middlebury's Amanda Berck. Menezes outmatched Berck in every aspect, overpowering her en route to a 6-0, 6-2 victory.
At third singles, Snyder fell to a tough opponent in Emily Holick. Snyder played her opponent closely, but was ultimately outmatched.
Murphy played a tremendous match in the fourth position. The first set was a great battle, which she took down in a tie breaker by a score of 7-5. In the second set, it was clear that Murphy had figured out her opponent as she controlled the point and was consistent in the windy conditions. Murphy cruised to a 6-2 victory in the second set.
Miller played tremendous singles at the fifth spot, completely controlling the match. Miller dictated the points and won both sets by a 6-2 score.
During the sixth singles match, Amherst had not clinched the match. Stein continued to play in the second set with nagging shoulder and back injuries. Feeling strong in the first set, Stein battled hard and won the first set in a tiebreaker, 7-4. However, entering the second set, Stein tweaked her back, and coupled with her previous shoulder injury, she was no where near 100 percent. However, since the team match was undecided, Stein stayed on the court, practically hobbling, trying to keep in the match.
Miller said, "Nobody showed more heart than Laura, who refused to give into an injury until the match was clinched, and even came from behind to take the first set."
As Stein fell behind 5-0 in the second set, Amherst finally secured the overall victory, so Coach Jackie Bagwell encouraged the injured Stein to retire.
"It was a huge win to beat Middlebury," said Raverta. "It will set us up nicely for the rest of the season in terms of standings."
The Jeffs will return to another week of practices and matches. This past week of practice was very beneficial and crucial to Sunday's success against Middlebury.
"Our coaches, Jackie and [Assistant Coach] Erin [Murphy '05], did a really great job of preparing us for the type of play we would see from Middlebury," said Jen Murphy. "We worked very specific drills all week in practice, and they proved very beneficial for us in the match. We learned new areas for us to improve on in this match, and so we are looking forward to another week of intense, focused practices."
On Tuesday, Amherst will take on Tufts University at home at 3:30. The 27th-ranked Jumbos are currently 6-5. On Saturday, the Jeffs will travel to face Wesleyan University at 1:00.
NESCAC Notes
The NESCAC boasts some of the nation's top-ranked teams. Coming into the match against Amherst, Middlebury was ranked ninth in the country. Williams College is currently 7-4 and are ranked eighth in the latest rankings. Amherst remains undefeated in conference play.