One season down for the women’s tennis team, one season to go.
The Terriers enjoyed a satisfying end to their fall season this weekend, spending three physically draining days in Hanover, N.H. at the Big Green Invitational.
“It was a good tournament to finish off the fall season because it leaves us on a positive note,” said BU coach Lesley Sheehan, whose team amassed a 35-37 singles record and a 23-16 doubles record during its fall schedule.
BU compiled a record of 7-2 in doubles and 11-8 in singles this weekend in battling Army, Dartmouth College, Stony Brook University, Syracuse University and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
“This is a really great turning point,” Sheehan said. “We want to go into the offseason knowing that we are playing good tennis. We want the team to have confidence. We ended on a positive note.”
Freshman Vanessa Steiner led the Terriers with a 3-0 singles record and 2-1 mark in doubles.
“I knew it was the last tournament of the fall season, and I wanted to end it doing well,” Steiner said. “That last singles match I played was the best that I have played so far.”
Steiner, who led her Pennsylvania high school squad to state championships in both team and doubles play, said it took a while to adjust to the atmosphere of college sports, but she has continually improved after learning how to relax and get into a rhythm.
Sophomore Francine Whu went 2-1 on the weekend. Defeating Big Green freshman Molly Scott, a finalist at the National Tennis Center Tournament, was a big moment for Whu.
“[Scott] has had great summer and fall seasons and she has beaten many top players,” Whu said. “I just went into the match taking it point-by-point and not worrying about the result. I stayed focused. I was very tough mentally, and I kept my composure for the entire match, which was key for me.”
The team will take a short recess before it starts offseason training for its spring season, which begins next semester.
“Our fall season was definitely a learning experience for the team,” Sheehan said. “They now know what they need to work on during the offseason.”
Sheehan said the fall was a time to explore good doubles teams pairings and to prepare the squad for the spring season.
“The fall is a time for practice and building, so results aren’t extremely important,” Whu said. “We’re working on doubles, and it takes some time to get used to. Some of us, including myself, are playing with partners we have never played with before, so it’s expected that wins may take a little time to start coming.”
Steiner said she and her teammates learned each other’s styles during the fall so they could develop chemistry before the spring.
Whu said there may be some doubts about the Terriers’ season because the team lost last year’s No. 1 player, Erin Katims, to graduation.
“I think it’s important to know that we are just as good, if not better than last year,” Whu said. “We have two very good freshmen [Vanessa Steiner and Daria Zakharchenko] and our upperclassmen continue to work hard and improve. I’m sure we will surprise everyone on a very strong spring season this year.”
