Sat., Sept. 14, 2019 • Entry No. 2

Returning to the Brown courts today certainly felt like more of an arduous task than it should have been. Simply the thought of playing another day of matches as hard fought as yesterday's was exhausting. Many of us were beginning to struggle with the typical aches and pains that haunt you after a match, only made worse by the unfortunate fact that our sunburn had not improved (although I did finally buy aftersun today so be proud of me).

However much our minds and bodies were feeling the fatigue, our day got started out in the perfect way as we were escorted through the extravagant halls of the Graduate Providence to our private dining room. Before us stood a vast array of food just waiting to be consumed; it was Jasmin's idea of heaven, especially now that she has been rationed to five items per day, including Gatorade, from the black bag. Self control when it comes to free food is not her greatest asset; she is currently arguing otherwise with me but I believe it is important to point out that she is working her way through an entire bag of gummy bears as she does so and we only have another 30 minutes until dinner. I'll let you decide who has the more accurate opinion… Anyway, after eating as much as we could handle (but not too much so that we became potatoes), we made our way to the courts and began our preparations for today's matches. The nerves that had hampered us so severely yesterday had, for the most part, dissipated, and we all felt excited for the challenges that lay ahead.

This excitement was evident as our pairs dispersed to their courts. An atmosphere of electricity engulfed all four banks as UMass dominated. Noise erupted from each court as pairings got fired up and our supporters, Ashley's devoted family and adorable dog Jasper, cheered on from the sidelines. The first three doubles matches flew by, with Janja and Martina earning a 6-1 victory, Ashley and Shiran winning 6-4, and Jasmin and Jo bageling their opponents. However, this hot streak was not destined to continue as Anna and I fell 6-4 to Brown's last hope in the Flight A draw. A momentum shift had occurred and it could be felt on every court. Ashley and Shiran were the first to fall, bested by a pair from Dartmouth who came out desperate for vengeance in the singles. They were simply too aggressive and our girls could not find a way past them. Jasmin and Jo put up an exceptional fight but were unfortunately outlasted by a feisty pair from Stony Brook, eager to continue their run as the last pairing from their school. Neither of our girls gave up, not even Jo after experiencing her first fall and roll of the year, but it just wasn't to be today. Sarah and Tami were also unable to find the answers needed to defeat their opponents, but represented the team admirably.

All hopes of a UMass victory at this tournament rested on our pairs in Flight A. Janja and Martina were the only two able to maintain their energy from doubles and thus made swift work of their opposition. Janja's meticulous serve and penetrating groundstrokes kept Guan at bay, before she ended the point with some finesse, catching her opponent by surprise with a dropshot. Yet, she wasn't the only one in this duo to find success with the dropshot today: Martina hit such a good one off a return of serve that the Dartmouth coach stated, "oh, nice shot." I think it's safe to say that he was fairly impressed. Convincing victories from both girls allowed them to achieve a 3-0 win, moving them onto the finals.

However, the other semi-final was a far less efficient affair. Having lost the doubles point, Anna and I knew that we must win both of our singles in order to progress and the stakes were high. Anna got off to a flying start, bullying Kowalsky around the court, to the point at which she could barely move, and claimed a convincing first set. A shakier start to the second set ensued, but she quickly rose to the situation and began breaking down her opponent once again with precision focus and huge variety. Earning a 6-3, 6-3 win, Anna truly stepped up to the occasion and showed us all what she is capable of. On the next court, I was stuck in a true battle, trailing 4-6, 3-2. Knowing that Janja and Martina had secured their spot and Anna had so impressively won her singles, I knew that I couldn't be the one to prevent an all UMass final. Finally finding some rhythm and hitting more forehand winners than I have hit collectively in my life, I managed to level the match at a set all. The third set was level until a break of serve midway through allowed me to race ahead to a 5-2 lead, before battling for the final game and unleashing a mighty roar as Lau's forehand sailed long to hand me the match and my pair's place in the final. During my singles match, Anna overheard supporters of Brown questioning what UMass is and referring to us as "a huge public school in Massachusetts." Well, if they didn't know us before they certainly will now that both of our pairs have reached the final of Flight A.

- Jodie Annie Lawrence-Taylor, sophomore, UMass tennis

Scoreboard

UMass Tennis Blog • Sat., Sept. 14 • Entry #2

Sat., Sept. 14, 2019 • Entry No. 2

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics

UMass Tennis Blog • Sat., Sept. 14 • Entry #2

Sat., Sept. 14, 2019 • Entry No. 2

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