When the stakes are high, you better believe the competition is even higher.
With NCAA tournament bids on the line, the Red and Blue faced fierce competition at the Women’s Ivy Intercollegiate Tennis Association Masters. Held in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Oct. 24, the tournament hosted four singles and two doubles from each school.
Singles action kicked off in the round of 32 with early exits from Penn. Sophomores Sarah Wang and Lara Stojanovski and freshman Varsha Vedula all fell in straight sets. Junior Liza Tkachenko was the only singles player to move on to the quarterfinals with a narrow 6-4, 7–6 victory over Cornell’s Andrea Martinez. Tkachenko’s run ended that same day after a close loss to Dartmouth’s Lauren Han.
The doubles side of the tournament opened up with two dominant matches, one of which did not go the Quakers' way. Tkachenko and Stojanovski faced a tournament-seeded – and eventual tournament champion– Harvard combination of Charlotte Owensby and Claire Shao. The final match score was a 8-3 loss for Penn.
The Red and Blue had one final attempt of making it to day two of the tournament – and they did not disappoint. Velega, coming off her singles ITA Northeast Regional Title and NCAA tournament qualifier win, was looking to propel her young teammate Saw to the national spotlight as well, and together they formed a formidable veteran and rookie duo. Their doubles team cruised through the first round of the tournament against Dartmouth, winning with a score of 8-2.
Quarterfinals kicked off day 2 of the tournament. Velaga and Saw fought through a brutal set against Yale, who was ranked fourth in the tournament. The Quakers faced an early 0-5 deficit and were looking down, but in game six of the set, they rallied their way back onto the board, ending with a score of 5-1. Of the next eight games, Penn dropped only one, marking a huge shift in momentum for the team.
“[Velaga] always brings the energy on court and gives me great advice. I’m really glad I get to learn from her both on and off the court,” Saw said.
In the semifinals, the Red and Blue faced off against a daunting Harvard doubles team. Harvard's Stephanie Yakoff – like Velaga – was coming off a hot streak, winning the singles ITA New England Regional title, along with a bid to the NCAA tournament. Velaga and Saw pulled through with aggressiveness, constantly securing points at the net and taking down the match in straight sets 6-3, 6-4.
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On championship day, the Quakers were once again battle tested by the Crimson. The first set was close with both teams going point-for-point, but Harvard stayed gritty and took the first set in a tie-break 7-6. Velaga and Saw struggled to keep their energy high after the tough set, and the Crimson cruised their way through the second, only allowing the Quakers to get two points to their 6. But despite the loss, Saw was optimistic about moving forward.
“I'm looking to work on my volleys and positioning for my future doubles matches," Saw said. "I think working on these aspects of my doubles play will help propel my game forward.”
As Saw looks to hone her strengths on the court, her doubles partner Velaga will compete in the NCAA singles championship beginning on Nov. 18.
