Expectations for the Year:

The women’s tennis team began the spring season seeking to improve upon last year’s Patriot League record of 0-5. The team knew they were strong on the doubles court, with victories from Catherine Senopoulos ‘16 and Caroline Nixon ‘16 in this fall’s Patriot League Kickoff at Lehigh’s campus in Bethlehem. On the singles court, the team was eager to see how emerging freshmen Rocine Moschella and Tori Almeida would perform on the singles court.

What Happened:

The team went 6-8 this season, and 1-6 in spring Conference play. The Leopards swept #9 seed Holy Cross in the first round of the league tournament before losing to top seeded Boston University on April 18, ending their spring season. Despite their record, the team was impressed with the improvement that their underclassmen showed throughout the year.

“This season I was especially impressed with Tori Almeida, a freshman on our team who had four Patriot League wins including Bucknell, Lehigh, Colgate and Holy Cross,” Jordyn Spellberg ’15 said. “She is such a positive and influential member of our team and we are lucky to have her.”

Hopes for Next Year:

The team is losing seniors Liza Blank and Lucy Bass, with Amanda Kusnierz ‘15 and Spellberg will step into leadership positions as seniors. The team will look to capitalize on close individual matches next year. The team lost several close matches this year, including a 4-3 defeat to Colgate in the last match of the regular season.

“Our matches have been so incredibly close within the Patriot League,” Spellberg noted. “It is important for us to remember that with the right attitude and proper preparation in season as well as the off season (summer and the winter), we can succeed.”

Almeida and Moschella will look to continue their strong singles play and doubles tandem as they move into their sophomore season.