Courtesy of Brian Beard

The women’s tennis team (10–4; 5–2 NESCAC) won two matches last weekend, sweeping Hamilton College (6–7; 2–5 NESCAC) on Saturday and securing a tight victory over Amherst College (9–5; 5–3 NESCAC) on Sunday. The team remains optimistic this season and anticipates important matchups in the near future as it works towards its goal of making the NCAA tournament.

Cara Hung ’26 reflected on the strength of both the doubles and singles lineup against Hamilton.

“The team performed really well [against Hamilton]. We got the doubles point [which is] a testament to how solid our doubles are. In singles, everyone did amazing; people were super focused, and I could really sense that we wanted that win and wanted a good start to the weekend,” Hung said.

Following the dominant win, the team went into Sunday’s match with confidence. Last year, the Polar Bears beat the Mammoths during the regular season but lost to them in the NESCAC tournament. With that in mind, the team focused on clinching the doubles point and carrying that momentum into singles play.

“In singles, we knew we were in for a long battle because Amherst is a good team. They like to grind,” Hung said. “But I think all the hours we’ve been putting in with practice matches and really focusing on improving our game really paid off here, and we saw it in the results.”

Zoe Sun ’27 explained that the Amherst singles matches began with two quick, unfortunate losses, but the team bounced back in the remaining matches with competitive play across the board.

“One thing that we really do well is focusing on our weaknesses. For example, when we’re in a match and someone picks on our weakness, we like to say that that’s sort of a blessing in disguise, because they’re just giving us more reps at practicing our weakness but in a match scenario,” Sun said.

Caroline Stuhlfaut ’27 emphasized how the team also prioritizes progress over perfection.

“We are a team that focuses not on results but growth. Our coaches have us read this book before we come in called ‘Growth Mindset’ by Carol Dweck, and it focuses on doing the right things instead of only being results oriented,” Stuhlfaut said. “I feel like we have been committing to that and doing that, and I feel like the results have been coming.”

One of the team’s main strengths is its positive team culture.

“Our coach says this all the time—culture wins. All the wins on the court and during the season, come from having a strong team culture and that’s something I think we’ve worked really hard to build, and I think it’s paying off. We all love each other and support each other no matter what,” Stuhlfaut said.

A key part of the team culture is maintaining a high energy level. The Polar Bears make it a goal to always cheer for each other during practices and matches. This becomes especially important when playing quieter teams, as bringing more energy often translates into wins during intense matchups.

“We like to say that when we cheer out loud and verbally, it’s really to make connections between each other and our other teammates, not to intimidate other people,” Sun said. “When it gets really tight, hearing your teammates on the bench or on the sidelines cheer for you is really what gets you through those tough matches.”

Through developing these habits, working on weaknesses, building team culture and emphasizing energy, the team is striving towards big goals going into the final stretch of the season.

Tomorrow, the team will face Colby College (6–7; 3–4 NESCAC) and Nichols College (11–7) before its last two matches of the regular season.

“I think the biggest goal that we all share is making the NCAA tournament. That’s our North Star. It’s our ultimate goal. And I feel like we’re taking the steps that we need to take to achieve that goal. And I really feel like we’re gonna get there this year,” Hung said.