The women’s tennis team will look to jump-start its 2012 season this weekend when it hosts teams from across New York in the Cornell Winter Invitational. Coming off a long hiatus from competitive play, the Red is eager to make its return to the court and earn regional bragging rights. Colgate, Binghampton, Army and conference foe Columbia are poised to compete against Cornell.
Junior Christine Ordway, who is ranked nationally in doubles with junior partner Sarah O’Neil, is excited to start the season against these formidable opponents.
“We’ve been working really hard for the past week, so we’re excited to see where we fall in comparison to the rest of the teams,” she said. “There are some strong teams coming, so we should have some great competition.”
One such team is Columbia. Cornell split the season series with the Lions last year, and according to sophomore Ryann Young, this year’s contest will also be a tough battle.
“We were evenly matched last year,” Young said. “Hopefully the tides have turned in our favor, but it once again looks to be an even matchup this year.”
Young also noted how nerve-racking this weekend’s competition will be, seeing as it is the first time the Red will compete in 2012.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve played competitive tennis,” Young said. “We’re definitely pumped and well prepared, but at the same time there’s no way to really simulate the tournament pressure.”
Despite the fact that the Red’s roster is predominantly comprised of freshmen, Young is convinced that the fall season provided more than enough experience for the players.
“During the fall season a lot of the younger players learned that they could take on anyone, despite their age,” Young said.
A strong fall campaign, in which six members of the team qualified for regionals, is another reason for the Red to be optimistic. Young was one of those who qualified, losing only to the tournament’s top seed.
With the whole season ahead, the women’s tennis team is confident and excited. This upcoming weekend the Red will be challenged, so last fall’s experience will be put to the test.
Original Author: Edward McNelis