After opening the season at the New England Regional Championships at MIT, the women's tennis team will travel to West Point this weekend, where they will compete in the Eastern Invitational.
The team is confident in its ability after a strong performance at MIT. Senior Brett Davis said, "this is the strongest team we've had, with the most depth. The freshman have had a huge impact on our team. Both of them beat top seeded players last weekend."
The Eastern Invitational is one of the few opportunities the team has to play against Division I teams, and it hopes to continue improving.
"We're all looking forward to this weekend because playing with D-I schools will boost up our confidence in competition," said Davis.
Coach Hobie Holbach said, "in my three years here, this is the most physically talented team that we've had."
She addded, "But that doesn't really mean anything. You have to prove it on the court."
The team took one step towards that goal last weekend at the New England Regional Championships, where only the top players in the Northeast qualified. The tournament admitted four Bowdoin singles players and two doubles teams.
Sophomore Emily Lombardi '12 gave one of the most outstanding performances of the women's tennis team. Lombardi is one of the few players in the women's tennis history to be named a co-captain as a sophomore. After cruising through her first two matches, Lombardi decisively defeated the No. 8 seed of the tournament, Marie Watanabe of Wellesly College, by a score of 6-1, 6-1. It was only in the quarter finals against the No. 3 seed of the tournament that Lombardi was eliminated. Her top-five nationally ranked-opponent, Nicole Pontee, defeated Lombardi in an intense battle by 6-3, 0-6, 6-0.
First year Chantalle Lavertu also cruised through her first two matches, beating Sarah Miller from Wesleyan 6-2, 6-3 and No. 11 Lucy Marchese of Williams, by a score of 6-2, 6-4. She was finally stopped in the third round of the tournament by the No. 1 seed, Julia Browne of Tufts.
Lower in the bracket was first year Kellen Alberstone '13, who had to match up against the No. 14 seed Anastasia Vishnesvestky of MIT in the first round. Alberstone disregarded the seeding and crushed her MIT opponent 6-1, 6-2. Alberstone won her second match 6-4, 6-4. In the third round, she was faced with a tough adversary, No. 4 seed Brittany Berckes of Amherst College, and lost in a close battle, 6-1, 7-6 (3).
The last singles participant, Davis, won her first match fairly easily 6-0, 6-1, only to be stopped by No. 15 seed Jill Wexler from Amherst College in a close match.
In doubles, Davis paired up with Alberstone and the tandem had a tough first match, losing 9-8 (5). The other doubles team, Hannah Hoerner '12 and Lombardi, made it to the quarter finals, defeating Babson and Amherst teams. Their roll was ended by Wellesly team Siddique and Shen.
The team hopes to take some of the confidence it gained at the regional championships and continue its success against D-I competition at the Eastern Invitational this weekend.