W. Tennis wins every set in victory

In a word, dominant. That is about the only way to describe Penn's 9-0 victory over a short-sided Temple squad yesterday in women's tennis action at Levy Pavilion. But Quakers interim head coach Mike Dowd wanted more than just a victory. He emphasized preparedness and team unity as the keys to a successful spring season and was very pleased with the results. "We had a spectacular warm-up, did everything as a team, were mentally focused and physically prepared. The only thing that could have gone better was if Temple had more players," Dowd said. The Red and Blue dominated play from the beginning as junior co-captain Lara Afanassiev came out strong against Temple's Rachel Gertner at the No. 1 singles. With her strong ground strokes and consistent all-around game, Afanassiev frustrated her opponent early on and never let up, ultimately winning 6-0, 6-1. "[Gertner] was a pretty good player, but I was just consistent today. I forced her into a lot of mistakes," Afanassiev said. In the most exciting match of the day, Afanassiev's fellow junior co-captain, Andi Grossman, wore down her opponent for a hard-fought 6-4, 6-2 victory in the No. 2 singles. She finished off the match impressively by winning a long, hard-hitting rally. Grossman was pleased to be back in actual competition after the long layoff. "The actual matches are so different than practices because they're so much more intense," Grossman said. "We haven't had a match for a while, so this is pretty good for the season opener." Penn sophomore Yukie Tokuda also played an outstanding match after two weeks off due to a sprained ankle. Facing a former junior tennis foe, Tokuda showed no signs of rust, cruising to an easy 6-2, 6-1 victory at the No. 3 singles on the strength of her explosive service game. Lisa Kahikina, a freshman making her first singles appearance, used an unusual playing style to her advantage, overwhelming her opponent 6-1, 6-1. Kahikina hit the ball "on the rise," returning volleys as soon as they bounce off the ground. This style emphasized her quickness advantage and led to an exciting, fast-paced battle of ground strokes. Allie Lacika was "glad to get the old motor going again," quickly defeating her opponent 6-0, 6-1. She noted a strong service game and sound fundamentals as the key to her success. Despite a lack of previous experience playing together, Lacika went on to record a doubles victory with Kahikina, winning 6-3, 6-2. Hard-hitting sophomore Corin Esterowitz teamed up with Tokuda and cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 win for the Quakers in second doubles. Temple, unable to field a full team, was forced to forfeit the final two doubles matches. Yesterday's strong showing versus the rival Owls leads one to believe that the spring will be a prosperous one for the Quakers. "Everyone's improved so much since the fall," Lacika said. However, before they can begin looking ahead to the upcoming Ivy League season, they must prepare to face a stronger Rutgers team tomorrow afternoon in New Jersey and for a California road-trip over Spring Break. If the first match is any indication of Penn's talent and depth, it could be a sunny spring on the West Philly tennis courts.