After a three-month respite, the women’s tennis team kicks off the new season this weekend in Ithaca at the annual Cornell Winter Invitational. Thus far the Red has only taken part in individual event tournaments, including trips to West Point, N.Y., Cambridge, Mass. and the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.
The Cornell Winter Invite signals the beginning of the team-oriented portion of the women’s tennis schedule. This year’s invite is a three-day event during which the Red will host Binghamton, Buffalo and Bucknell.
While the event may not count for official league standings, assistant coach Ty Schaub still feels that this is an important time for the team to showcase its young talent leading into the new season.
“I think we’ll be one of the top teams there, and we’re hoping to have good results,” Schaub said.
The Red goes into this season with half of its players only in their freshman year. While some detractors might consider the team’s lack of experience to be a problem, Schaub sees the situation very differently. Despite their youth, Schaub feels that the team’s freshmen are in prime position to expand on the success they had in the fall, adding, “We’re a pretty young team, and our freshmen are very talented.”
As for goals for the upcoming season, Schaub continually reinforced his confidence in the Red’s ability to compete with other top teams.
“We can compete … in the Ivy League and finish in the top three in the league,” Schaub said.
Over the next three months the Red will travel all around the country to take on the best competition that college tennis has to offer, culminating with contests against all seven Ivy League foes. Prior to taking on its Ancient Eight rivals, the Red will take on Buffalo and Colgate before heading to Cambridge, Mass., for the ECAC/Ivy League Challenge.
While the women’s team is hard at work this weekend at the Reis Tennis Center, the men’s team will have time to rest and prepare to host Binghamton, Georgetown and Marist on Super Bowl weekend. The men’s team will continue on to New Haven, Conn., for the ECAC/Ivy Challenge as the Red enters the crucial stages of the run for an Ivy League title.
Original Author: Evan Rich