With Opening Day in the rearview mirror, baseball is in the air. But before Boston switches its focus to Fenway, another, more subtle team, is vying for the city’s (or at least Boston University’s) attention: the No. 73 BU women’s tennis team.
Over the weekend, the Terriers defeated the No. 75 University of South Florida, 5-2, and followed by sweeping Florida Gulf Coast University, 7-0. BU has now won three-consecutive games to improve to 12-5 this season.
‘We went in knowing we could beat these teams,’ BU coach Lesley Sheehan said. ‘The University of South Florida has a history of being one of the best teams in the country, but we went in ready to play some really tough matches.’
The South Florida match was much closer than it would appear. The Terriers won with skill and a little bit of luck.
‘It was a very close and very tough match,’ Sheehan said. ‘If you look at [senior] Danielle Abraham, she was 6-6 in the third set when her opponent cramped up so bad she couldn’t run, so we won by default in that set because her opponent couldn’t move.’
The match against Florida Gulf Coast was a more dominant victory that had a positive effect on the team’s morale.
‘When we sweep a team, it lets the girls know they are a strong team,’ Sheehan said. ‘It gives us confidence. When you compete, you’re trying to figure out how good these teams are, so to go to Florida, to their home court, in their heat and going out and sweeping them, it’s great. The team should feel really good about that.’
BU also had a series in Florida during spring break. Sheehan thinks that trip contributed to their success this past weekend, especially concerning the intense Florida heat, which can be tough on any team.
‘It was great having that weekend in Florida over spring break. This weekend would have been a different story if we didn’t.’
The wins also earned the Terriers a national ranking of 73.
‘Being in the top 75 is always good,’ Sheehan said. ‘Think about it this way. There are over 300 D-I schools in the country, so we’re in the top third of the country.’
Perhaps the biggest reason for their success is the emerging freshmen that have stepped up to lead the team.
‘[Freshman] Stefanie Nunic had a tough fall, but came in to that number-one spot, and especially in the last few months, she’s played great tennis,’ Sheehan said.
In her last four matches, Nunic has gone 4-0. Another major contributing freshman has been Cori Lefkowith, who has only lost one match all spring.
And the best part about her young stars?
‘They’re still motivated,’ Sheehan said. ‘You can find Stef in the weight room at any time. All my players are constantly trying to make themselves stronger and better. ‘
Sheehan also attributes her team’s success to its cohesion, as well as her own relationship with her players.
‘In the fall, the players have their individual tournaments, so right off the bat, it’s really difficult to bring this individual sport into a team sport,’ Sheehan said. ‘But they understand the lineup is for the good of the team. They have great communication, and I think they’ve come together well.
‘I keep the lines of communication open with them all the time, so we can talk about what they need to improve for their games, how to improve their matches. I feel that I’ve always had a good rapport with my players.’
The Terriers will finish out the regular season with a match against Boston College on Thursday, a pairing Sheehan said she is optimistic about.
‘BC is a very good team, but we’re playing well right now so I feel good going in,’ Sheehan said.
Beyond the team’s success, Sheehan is also working toward the growth of her individual players.
‘I try to stress to the team to be constantly learning and improving so every day, every week, they can get their game to the next level,’ Sheehan said.
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