W. Tennis hits the jackpot with Feldman

Julia Feldman is no stranger to the tennis court. From the moment she first picked up a racket at age 10, following in her older sister's footsteps, tennis was always her favorite sport. "I loved it right away," Feldman said. This weekend, Feldman and Penn (2-0) return to the Princeton Invitational, where she won the consolation bracket last fall. The tournament comprises individuals from the top teams in the region. By the age of 14, she was already playing junior tennis and competing in tournaments year round. She went on to an outstanding high school career at William Howard Taft High School in her hometown of Encino, Calif. During her senior season, Feldman was the No. 1-ranked player in Los Angeles and one of the top 20 players in southern California. Feldman, however, failed to receive a national ranking and, as a result, did not get as much attention from college coaches. In addition, under California's system, only the top 10 players in each region are invited to participate in the invitational tournaments where numerous college coaches come with pencils sharpened and sales pitches ready. As a result, Feldman went unrecruited and was forced to write letters to various coaches in hopes of a much-desired Division I opportunity. This setback did not bother her for long, however. Aside from the initial disappointment, Feldman feels as though it has made her a better player in the long run. "It definitely made me more strong-willed and determined," Feldman said. After talking to long-time Penn coach Cissie Leary and visiting the campus, Feldman ultimately chose Penn over Dartmouth, citing city life and Wharton as the determining factors. Penn took a chance on Feldman and ended up landing on a gold mine. Feldman dominated from the very beginning, garnering first-team All-Ivy League honors in doubles and second team All-Ivy in singles competition as a freshman. From her No. 3 spot, Feldman posted a 23-10 overall record and a sparkling 7-0 in Ivy League play, despite being severely hampered by what was thought to be tendinitis in her wrist for the final two matches of the season. Over the summer, Feldman did not play much but was able to come back strong this fall, posting 8-3 record overall. With her sore wrist behind her, Feldman is hoping to improve by adding more consistency to an already solid serve-and-volley game. "My goal is to be able to keep it up, to do even better than last year," Feldman said. Feldman is scheduled to play singles this weekend, as is fellow sophomore Karen Ridley, and will team up with junior co-captain Lara Afanassiev in doubles action. Currently ranked eighth in the East, this talented tandem is looking to improve their rating with a strong performance this weekend. Ultimately, Feldman and Afanassiev aim for an elusive national ranking. After this weekend, the Red and Blue are off until their five-match, 11-day trip to California over spring break. Penn begins the Ivy League season on March 28 with a home match against Princeton.