With the start of the dual match season still a few months away, the Virginia women's tennis team is looking to stay fresh in early tournaments.
Tomorrow, the team sends senior Emily Fraser to the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. in an opportunity to generate additional early-season success.
"I think the fall is always a great opportunity for us," Fraser said. "As a team, we play more matches in the fall than a lot of other teams. I think that really helps us come springtime to be ready to go in dual competition. It's a grind, because it's a short season in the fall, and it's a lot of playing over the weekend, but I think it ultimately helps us over the season."
The team is coming off last week's promising showing at the ITA Atlantic Regionals at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. Although the Cavaliers ultimately left the tournament without a title, several members of the team made deep runs. The doubles team of Fraser and junior Hana Tomljanovic reached the finals before falling 8-4 to the Maryland team of junior Ana Belzunce and sophomore Welma Luus. In the singles bracket, Tomljanovic again made it to the finals but was then defeated by another Terrapin player, sophomore Cristina Stancu, 6-2, 1-6, 6-0.. Despite returning to Charlottesville without any hardware, the Cavaliers drew plenty of positive experiences from the tournament for the long season ahead.
"[It helps] just playing different players, getting experience with different game styles," Fraser said. "It's definitely going to help going into this next tournament."
Fraser now turns her attention to this weekend, when she will compete in an invitational tournament featuring 32 of the nation's top players at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the site of the U.S. Open. For Fraser, the opportunity is both an honor and a challenge the entire team hopes will be the first of many big moments for the Rye, N.Y. native's senior season.
"My biggest goal for Emily is to know that she's in the right place," coach Mark Guilbeau said. "For her, it's to enjoy the reward that she's earned here of making the National Indoors."
Fraser, who comes into the season ranked No. 36 nationally in the preseason singles polls, is eagerly anticipating the tournament and especially the chance to play indoors and against such stiff competition.
"Indoors, everything is a bit quicker," Fraser said. "I'm going to have to be really sharp with my feet and keep my backswing short, and use the pace of the indoors to benefit me. I'm just going to have to fight very hard and make sure I'm giving my best effort in every match and thinking through, and making sure I'm being smart about my game plans."
Far from simply celebrating her invitation to the prestigious tournament, Guilbeau is confident in Fraser's potential to make a splash while facing some of the nation's best singles players in the Big Apple.
"She really loves the transition from outdoors to [indoors]," Guilbeau said. "She's been serving really well, [and] she's always used her forehand well. Every result counts. These players aren't better than her. Even though it's the best 32 players in the country, she's right there with them, and she earned that spot."
The ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships begin Thursday and conclude Sunday. The tournament is hosted by Columbia University.
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