Grossman leads Quakers into match against Lehigh

If one had to give only a single piece of advice to an opponent playing across from Andi Grossman, the junior co-captain of the Penn women's tennis team, it would have to be this: Do not underestimate her. This is not something that needs not be told to anyone who has seen her play. Standing at a mere 5-foot-3, Grossman's slight frame belies the power she displays on the court. With a single white head band draped a few inches above her eyes, she plays with a focus that is only matched by the speed of her hands and her desire for victory. "I like to consider myself a smart and consistent player," Grossman said. "My biggest asset is probably my quickness and will to win." Grossman, who hails from Scarsdale, N.Y., first picked up a racket at the age of 10 and, after a short flirtation with soccer, committed herself fully to tennis. She attended Scarsdale High School, which had one of the best tennis teams in the state, and began playing in various ETA and USTA tournaments. She reached the pinnacle of her high school career in 1992, when she and a teammate combined to win the state doubles championship. Often times, a team captain is chosen on talent alone. If that were true with the Penn's women's tennis team, Grossman's selection would not have been so clear-cut. Afanassiev, Penn's other co-captain, as the No.1 singles player, was an obvious choice. But Grossman, playing the No. 5 singles spot, put herself above the rest with the intangibles. Her desire to get to every ball and the work that she puts into her game are sterling examples to younger players that simply talent alone is not enough to win. "I think it's an honor to be captain of such a deep team," Grossman said. Grossman hosted a team breakfast a few weeks ago and feels that though tennis is an individual sport, team cohesion is essential. With only a few singles spots available, competition is inevitable, and Grossman knows that it is the captains' responsibility to keep that competition friendly. "We want everyone to have fun and to just keep on improving their own individual game," Grossman said. As far as goals for the year are concerned, Grossman is strictly team-oriented. With so much talent at the the Quakers' disposal, she knows that she and her teammates will only be satisfied with a serious run at the Ivy League championship. She refuses to intimate any personal hopes, saying that any goals she has for herself are intertwined with the team's. Grossman will attempt to build on the recent success of the past few matches as the Quakers (2-0) play host to Lehigh today at 2 p.m. and Army on Friday at 2 p.m. "It won't be easy," Grossman said. "The Army girls are really strong mentally. They go after every ball and never give up." The same could be said about Grossman.