The Hopkins women’s tennis team capped off an undefeated season in the Centennial Conference (CC) on Saturday, April 26. This is the eighth straight season this has occurred, and the team has won 80 straight conference matchups.
The team handily beat Swarthmore 8-1 to bring their conference record to 10-0 and their overall record to 18-1 going into the postseason.
“Going undefeated this season [in the CC] is definitely something everyone on the team is very proud of,” sophomore Olivia Kasten said. “By lifting and running more as a team, we were able to fuel our success both in a physical aspect and by coming together as a team.”
Kasten and senior Hailey Hogan opened up the scoring for the Lady Jays, winning their doubles matchup 8-3. Juniors Kaitlin Pfisterer and Macie Wilkins also handily defeated their opponents 8-4. To wrap up doubles, senior Lauren Fields and freshman Amanda Soo Ping Chow finished off the sweep for Hopkins with a narrow 9-7 victory.
“Moving forward, it’s imperative that we continue to play well and compete in every match we play,” Kasten said. “Personally, I want to focus on keeping the team motivated and maintain the great dynamic we’ve built throughout the season.”
After dominating in the doubles matches, freshman Ashnaa Rao handily won the first singles matchup of the day in straight sets with scores of 6-0 and 6-1, respectively. Fellow freshman Anna Kankanala followed up with a strong 6-2, 6-2 performance to give Hopkins the win. Hopkins then dropped their lone set after Pfisterer dropped a nail biter 6-6, 6-2, 1-0, giving Swarthmore their only win of the day. The Lady Jays immediately rebounded after Wilkins defeated her opponent 6-0 and 6-2 to clinch the win for Hopkins. Despite having the win in the bag, the Lady Jays did not give up, as Chow also picked up a 6-2, 6-2 victory, while senior Lauren Fields ended the day with a 6-1, 6-4 victory, capping off the University’s dominating 8-1 win.
The Lady Jays will now move into the postseason, where they have earned a bye in the first round of the CC tournament. They will face the winner of Wednesday’s Swarthmore-Muhlenberg matchup at Hopkins on Saturday, May 3.
“I fully expect everyone to go into the playoffs ready and playing to the best of their abilities,” Kasten said. “I think we should win every match, and ultimately, the tournament. We really need to remain focused and power through the final portion of our season.”
Kasten also commented on how far the team has come and how much going undefeated in the CC truly means to the team.
“Going undefeated in the CC for the past eight seasons gives the team a great amount of confidence,” Kasten said. “We’ve consistently beaten teams in the CC by great margins, which reminds us that we’re exactly where we should be.”
As the championship approaches, the team also has NCAA aspirations on their minds.
“Obviously, winning all of these CC matches is great, but we need to keep the right mindset — not only on the tournament, but also on the NCAA Championship,” Kasten said. “As a team, the final goal is to win the NCAA Championship, and we’re proud to have remained undefeated in the CC to the very end.”
With the conference championships coming up, the Lady Jays appear to be confident and prepared heading into the toughest stretch of their outdoor season. The Lady Jays will take the bye in the first round of the CC tournament and wait eagerly to see who they will play first on their way towards the championship.
