Inexperienced women go 5-0 in match competition With a 5-0 in match play and several strong tournament showings, the women's tennis team had a challenging and successful fall season. The Quakers, a young but talented team, benefitted greatly from the fall matches. "I was pleased with the fall season," Penn coach Cissie Leary said. "For the younger kids it is a real adjustment coming in academically and playing a varsity sport. Now we are ready for a little break." One of the highlights of the fall season was Penn's 7-2 defeat of West Virginia. This was a match that gave the team much confidence heading into the competitive ITA Team Regional tournament. "In our previous matches we were expected to win, but against West Virginia I wasn't sure what to expect," Leary said. "To say that I was pleased with our performance is an understatement." Against West Virginia, No. 3 Julia Feldman led the way, defeating Jodi Firestone 6-2, 6-2. "[Firestone] was a consistent baseline player," Feldman said. "At first I had a shaky start, but my serve carried me through it." The Eastern Collegiate tournament at Princeton in September showed Penn's ability to compete with the best competition in the region. Of the four Penn players who participated in singles competition, sophomore Andy Grossman advanced the farthest in the tournament, making it to the final of the "C" flight. Also impressive was Lara Afanassiev, who made it to the semifinals of the "A" flight. "The tournament showed that we have a lot of strong players," Leary said. "It was a good individual tournament, and it helped us get a feel for where we [were]." Penn will begin practice again in January, working on conditioning. The first match of the more important spring season is scheduled for Feb. 15. During spring break, the Quakers will travel to New Orleans to play Tulane and several other teams. Competition against Ivy League teams will begin after the trip. "We are a team with a lot of energy and I'm hoping that will show in the spring as we continue to improve," co-captain Preety Sorathia said.
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