The men’s and women’s tennis teams experienced mirrored seasons last spring, advancing to the national finals before the men fell to University of California, Santa Cruz, and the women lost to Williams College. It was the men’s first time advancing to the finals while the women made their fourth trip there. Both teams enter the fall season with hopes of more success before they have the chance to reach the national tournament again in the spring.
Women
“On paper, the transition from last season to the upcoming one seems somewhat effortless, considering everyone from last year’s lineup is returning (with the exception of Natasha Brown who will be abroad this fall),” said Brittany Berckes ’10. However, Berckes, who played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles for the top-ranked Jeffs last year, acknowledges that there will be psychological barriers to overcome after the 5-2 loss to archrival and second seed Williams College in the national finals.
“Ultimately, physically it will be an easy transition but mentally, it will be a tougher challenge to overcome. Fortunately, I have confidence in the resilience and closeness of our team and believe that we will work harder, mentally and physically, and hopefully achieve the outcome — winning the NCAA’s — we want in the spring,” said Berckes.
With just four tournaments to play this fall, the next two months will provide the Jeffs with helpful tournament experience for the more competitive spring season. Amherst will first compete in the ITA Championships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology on September 18-20.
The team will then play a tournament against Williams before concluding their fall season with the Gail Smith doubles tournament at Middlebury College and NEWITT at home.
Despite what will certainly be a competitive schedule, Berckes insists there are other goals on the team’s list. “What we realized from last year’s fantastic season and difficult loss, is that it’s more important to support and enjoy each other as a team. Last year we really achieved that and I hope to maintain that spirit throughout this season because it will be a big factor in our success.”
Men
The men will face a few more challenges as they enter the fall as they suffered the graduation loss of two top players.
“This season could be a transition year. The team lost one of the best players in school history, Zack Lerner, who played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles last year,” said Head Coach Chris Garner. “We also lost Peter Stein who was able to bring the team together with his humor and big forehand. Zack and Peter’s leadership and play will be missed but I ams hopeful a number of the players will be able to step up and lead.”
Moritz Koenig ’11, who played No. 4 singles and No. 1 doubles last spring, also emphasized the returning players’ role in compensating for the recent graduates.
“It will be a hard transition into the new season because of how much we achieved last year,” said Koenig. “We had the best year in program history and reached more than we ever would have expected. We also lost our No. 1 player from last year. Every one of us is going to have to work a bit harder so we can successfully fill the gap.”
The men will face a more rigorous fall schedule, with some simultaneous tournaments that will allow the team to split up for competitions. The Jeffs’ first tournament is the ITA Championships at Williams College.
Already, though, the players anticipate another great season after entering last year’s national tournament ranked sixth.
“The team is looking to build on the success from last year to really become a national powerhouse at the top of Div. III tennis,” commented Koenig on the team’s expectations for the season. “We have the coaching, dedication and players to be successful against any team in Div. III. Our goal will be to reach our potential and to enjoy the competition.”