W. Tennis rolls Garnet

After only two brief practices, the women's tennis team barely broke a sweat Saturday afternoon in pounding the Division III Swarthmore Garnet, 9-0, in Penn's first match of the season. "This was a good match for us to start out with because it got us back into the tournament play mentality," captain Preety Sorathia said. "We are all used to hitting in practice, but playing a match is a completely different mind-set." The Quakers displayed the rare mix of experienced seniors and talented freshman that could create a championship team not only this year, but for many seasons to come. Two freshman, Julia Feldman and Yukie Tokuda, are already in the starting singles lineup, playing in the No. 3 and 6 spots respectively. Both players started off their collegiate careers with a boost of confidence, winning their matches 6-0, 6-0. "There are several freshman who are going to make up a significant part of the team this year, and the more collegiate play they get, the better off they will be," Penn coach Cissie Leary said. "I feel that in one's first match it is extremely important for a player to start out on a positive note, and that's what all of them did today." Because of the Quakers' youth, the team will rely heavily on Sorathia and co-captain Beth Brady for extra leadership and support. Sorathia was all-Ivy in both singles and doubles last season. This is especially impressive because out of the six players who made all-Ivy last season, she was the only one who did not regularly play in the No. 1 spot. Sorathia will now lead the team from the top position, while Brady will be counted upon to solidify the lower portion of the lineup. In doubles, the No. 2 team, composed of Brady and freshman Karen Ridley, was especially dominant, defeating Nina Shenai and Michele Martinez 6-0, 6-0. It appeared to be Penn's consistency, rather than the strength of the Quakers' shots, that led to the easy victory. Next Saturday at Lott Courts, the Quakers will need to do more than merely make consistent shots if they hope to walk over the strong Georgetown team in the same manner they did to Swarthmore this weekend. "The younger players need to work on becoming more comfortable in match play," Leary said. "We'll play a lot of sets in practice to get them ready for the match against Georgetown." After only the first match, Sorathia feels very confident about the rest of the fall and the coming spring season. "We have a great bunch of new girls," she said. "I am confident there will be some ups and downs, but I think that in the end we will finish right at the top." Leary shares the same optimism about the team's mix of youth and experience. "I like the way that we are coming together early," Leary said. "I'm hoping that it will continue through the rest of the season."