The women's tennis team endured a frustrating 9-0 loss at Princeton last Friday. The Tigers, who boast a 13-0 record, are the top team in the Ivy League. As a result, Princeton took it to the Big Green, winning in straight sets over four of Dartmouth's top six singles players and beating the doubles teams by wide margins as well.
In doubles, only Michelle Bray '00 and Jenny Lange '00 were able to keep their match relatively close before falling, 8-5.
In singles, Allison Taff '00, playing at No. 3, took her match to a third-set tiebreaker before losing narrowly, 7-5. That's "as close as it gets," as movie fans might comment.
On the whole however, Big Green players were disappointed by the loss but tried to remain upbeat about the remainder of their schedule.
"It was a very frustrating loss for all of us," said co-Captain Sarah Anderson '99. "But I think that the team is determined to put it behind us and work hard in practice for our next matches."
If Dartmouth was going to beat the Tigers, they would have had to win the close matches that in the end all went Princeton's way.
"It was very disappointing to us that we didn't win," Taff said. "But I think each of us needs to look at our own matches and see where we could have stepped it up on a personal level."
The closest match of the day was Taff's singles match, which she nearly won in the third set. Often the comeback kid, Taff was unable to pull the usual tricks out her bag and ended up losing a close one. However, she tried to focus on the positive aspects of her performance.
"I'm upset I lost," she said. "But I was happy with the way I played and so I'm trying not to concentrate on simply the results."
Despite the loss, the Big Green players know that their play may have sufficed against a team not as talented as the Tigers.
"I think everyone is ready to compete again and show that we are a better team than the score against Princeton reflects," Anderson said.
Taff added that she was optimistic about the team's prospects for next weekend. After a split last weekend against Columbia and Penn, the Big Green (1-2 Ivy) face Brown and Yale in key matchups this Friday and Saturday in Hanover.
