This past weekend, the Hopkins women’s tennis team faced off against the 13th ranked Washington and Lee University Generals and Ursinus College Bears in a pair of road matches.
The Jays bested the Bears 6-0, moving their record in Centennial Conference play to a perfect 8-0. However, the Jays would lose to the Generals by a 7-2 score, in a matchup that was closer than the result indicated. With the split, the 14th ranked Jays moved to 13-5 on the season.
In the matchup against Ursinus, the Jays got out to a quick 3-0 start in doubles play. Sophomore Chrissy Simon and senior Anna Kankanala won a thrilling match, 9-7, at first. At second, senior Amanda Soo Ping Chow and sophomore Katie Gauch took their match 8-3. Finally, at third, junior Sunaina Vohra and freshman Prerna Singh won 8-5 to sweep the doubles matches. The momentum would continue into singles play.
During singles play, the Jays showed their grit and resolve as they rallied from early deficits. Simon lost the first set 3-6 but then rallied in the second, triumphantly winning 6-2. She would go onto win the third set tiebreaker and put the Jays up 4-0 on the day. Kankanala would also get down a set early, but she won the second 6-2 as well as the third set tiebreaker. Soo Ping Chow then defeated junior Ariel Danziger 6-0, 7-6 to cap off the dominant showing.
The matchup against the Generals featured a pair of top 15-ranked squads, and though Hopkins came up a bit short, the match was competitive and lived up to the hype. The Generals took a 2-1 lead following doubles play. The senior tandem of Ashnaa Rao and Mikey Barthelmass were downed 8-1 at first, while sophomore Kimberly Zou and freshman Sophia Strickland lost a tight 9-7 match at second.
“Sophia [Strickland] and I played second doubles and lost in a very close match, which potentially could have changed the momentum for singles. Many of the other singles matches also went to tight three setters,” Zou said.
Senior Jody Law and junior Caroline Greydak notched the first win of the day for the Jays at third doubles. Although the Generals would take five of six singles matches, the Jays put up a valiant fight in all the contests.
Rao was bested by the imposing senior Brooke Donnelly at first, 7-5, 6-2. Law would fight for three sets but was beaten 6-2, 2-6, 6-1. Greydak would fall down early 4-6 at fourth but came back to win the second 6-4 to set up a critical third set. However, Greydak would be defeated 6-3 to put the Generals ahead 6-1. The sole win of the singles slate was earned by Zou, who beat Hannah Archer 6-2, 6-1 in straight sets.
Although the Jays suffered a setback against the Generals, Zou still considers the season to be an overwhelming success.
“Despite our loss, I think the team has had a lot of success this year, both on and off the court.” Zou said. “We have continued to keep our winning Conference match streak and beat Mary Washington, a close rival, last week.”
Zou also highlighted the team’s unity, which has made strides both during competitions and in community service.
“Off the court, the team has gotten very close, especially thanks to the effort from the senior leadership,” Zou said. “Obviously traveling time and matches ensure that we spend a lot of time together, but we also participate in a lot of other activities such as teaching tennis to children with autism through ACEing Autism, a nonprofit founded by a Hopkins tennis alum.”
As she heads into the conclusion of her sophomore season, Zou reflected on her time at Hopkins and how she has grown as a player.
“I think that I’ve really grown as a tennis player in these past two years and learned to become more patient on the court as well as develop a team mentality.” Zou said. “Even if I lose, the match still relies on the team as a whole, so it’s super important to be there for your teammates in their matches.”
The Jays will continue their season on Saturday, April 29, when they travel to Pennsylvania to take on the Swarthmore College Garnet.
