Coming off a sweep against Marshall and Richmond, the Virginia women’s tennis team looks to conquer Maryland in its first ACC dual match of the season Friday at College Park.
Maryland (2-6), which struggled earlier this season but cruised past Pennsylvania in a match this week, presents an opportunity for Virginia (6-2) to prove its conference dominance. Because both teams have yet to play an ACC team, though, the Cavaliers’ advantage is not quite so clear.
“Right now, just on paper, Maryland has had a little bit of a rough start,” Virginia coach Mark Guilbeau said. “But you’re never going to play anyone in the ACC that’s not strong. They’re going to be plenty competitive and probably be as good as most of the teams we‘ve played this season.”
Maryland has lost by large margins in many of its matches and has struggled both defensively and offensively, despite an experienced roster. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have played in several close matches this season but have emerged victorious more often than not.
With a 6-2 record as proof, Virginia has been able to dominate in both singles and doubles early in the season. Despite a winning record, however, the Cavaliers are still very much in the midst of transition, adding freshman Karoline Steiro to their spring roster mid-February.
“I think that you’re always in search of that perfect chemistry in a group that’s really not always working well together but kind of has a common goal and a common bond,” Guilbeau said. “Overall they’ve transitioned very, very well. They’ve come out and I think they’ve been, in many ways, leaders — that’s a lot to ask when you’ve got freshmen.”
Though the freshmen may be transitioning well, seniors Amanda Rales and Maggie Yahner must still set an example for the young team.
“It’s important for them to have somebody to look up to and for that person to be doing the right thing on and off the court, so I definitely try to do my best at that,” Rales said. “At the same time, they have a lot to bring to the table, too, so there’s [one] thing that I can look to them for.”
Virginia, though less experienced than some teams, is learning quickly and performing well. Freshman Emily Fraser now holds the No. 1 singles position after playing well at the spot in last weekend’s series against Richmond and Marshall.
Additionally, Virginia also acquired sophomore Neela Vaez, a transfer from Purdue. Vaez has proved vital in many of Virginia’s victories, in spite of adjusting to a new system.
“It’s been really great,” Vaez said. “I think everybody’s great here and I like it a lot better. The training is actually a lot [harder]. It’s quite a bit more demanding, We trained hard over there, too, but the coaches here are definitely expecting a little more out of us for each individual workout.”
This dedication to overall fitness and training has helped Virginia deal with a slight understaffing problem, which was the result of several setbacks and injuries. Freshman Claire Bartlett and Steiro are injured and therefore will be unable compete in dual-season competition.
Making do with six of eight players, the Cavaliers have another busy weekend ahead. They must remain healthy and focused, as the team’s bout against Maryland will be followed Sunday by a match against Boston College.
“Boston College is a dangerous team; they have good strong players there,” Guilbeau said. “I know they’re hungry this year. They showed us a very strong level at the IPA regional championships in the fall, so we know we’ve got our hands full with Maryland and BC, and like I said, any team in the conference is going to be absolutely to the highest level.”
Before Virginia can search for triumph against Boston College, however, it must seek to overcome a seemingly weak Maryland squad. Regardless of the Terrapins’ losing record, the team’s greater depth of experience might prove problematic for Virginia.
“I know they definitely have some solid players,” Rales said. “They’re one of those teams that hasn’t typically done as well in the ACC but at the same time they could very easily surprise you.”
The first match in College Park will begin at 3 p.m. Friday.
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