This weekend the women?s tennis team will play in the University Athletic Association Championships in hopes of winning a berth to the Div. III tournament.
UR, which will host the UAA tournament, should see its toughest competition come at1 the hands of Emory University. Emory is the defending UAA champion and is ranked seventh in the nation for Div. III. Its record proves that it will be UR?s toughest competition this weekend.
Washington University will also be a tough match for the Yellowjackets.
The women have been playing well recently, splitting their last two matches against Hamilton College and Skidmore College.
The Yellowjackets swept Hamilton 9-0 with all six singles matches and three doubles matches. After the phenomenal win, the women faced their bitter University Collegiate Athletic Association rival Skidmore.
Despite falling to 13th ranked Skidmore 6-3, the Yellowjackets put forth a strong showing.
Individual highlights
Sophomore Joanna Toke played first singles and defeated Amy Wachenheim in straight sets 6-2, 6-1. Wachenheim is ranked second in singles in the east region and Toke attributed her big victory to mental toughness.
?It was a tough match,? Toke said. ?But I played smart, I didn?t make too many mistakes.?
Also winning for the Yellowjackets were sophomore Marybeth Liang and junior Rachel Sandler. Liang dropped the first set, but bounced back to take the next two sets, 6-3, 6-4.
Sandler won her match easily in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.
Despite falling to Skid-more, the women still have a good shot at making it to the national championships.
Currently, the women have a team record of 8-1 as they head into this weeks tournament. The team is very optimistic about this weekend.
?We have a very positive outlook going in to this weekend,? sophomore Erika Kahan said. ?We think we have a good chance of turning some heads.?
The team could definitely receive a bid to nationals with a strong showing at this weekend?s UAA championships.
?We definitely feel that if we play well and beat Washington University, that we have a good chance at nationals,? Liang said.
The University of Chicago, Case Western Reserve University, New York University and Brandeis University will join Emory and Washington University in Rochester for the tournament this weekend.
Barring bad weather, the matches will be played at the outdoor Peter Lyman tennis courts.
