The Big Green tennis team saw a successful finish to its fall season, going 6-5 in doubles and 11-9 in singles at the Big Green Invitational last weekend. The team played in four tournaments University of Virginia Fall Invitational, National Tennis Center Invitational, ITA Regionals and Big Green Invitational and will regroup before starting the core of its schedule in January.
"We are happy in general with the fall season," tri-captain Ryan Reichel '11 said. "It's always a lot of fun to compete again."
At the Big Green Invitational, this past weekend Dartmouth played in a more team-oriented round-robin style split into singles matches and doubles matches at the Big Green Invitational last weekend. The Big Green competed against University of Massachusetts, Ohio State University, Boston College and Boston University.
The Big Green won all of the matches except one against University of Massachusetts on the first day of the tournament. The next day, the Big Green played a mixed team of Ohio State and Boston College players.
Christina Danosi '13 was the only Dartmouth player to win her singles match. Tri-captain Molly Scott '11 and Melissa Matsuoka '14 scored a big doubles win against sophomore Kara Cecil and freshman Noelle Malley of Ohio State.
On the last day of competition, the Big Green won three of the five singles matches against Boston University. Sabrina Stewart '14, Danosi and Jeri Reichel '13 each registered a singles victory for Dartmouth.
"It was great to be able to play one more time at home," Ryan Reichel said. "It was cool to play some teams like Ohio State."
In the first tournament of the fall, rookies Matsuoka and Rachel Decker-Sadowski '14 finished second and third respectively in the singles D Flight group.
"The Class of 2014 did a good job of integrating themselves this fall," head coach Bob Dallis said. "They are all very solid and will be major contributors on the team."
At the USTA National Tennis Center Invitational, five Big Green players advanced to the semifinals of their respective groups Ryan Reichel and Matsuoka in the C Flight, tri-captain Georgiana Smyser '11 in the D Flight, Danosi in the G Flight and Stewart in the F Flight.
Big Green doubles teams also saw success at the invitational. Jeri Reichel and Danosi took home second place in the Doubles C Flight, while Ryan Reichel and her partner Valeriya Tatisheva '14 finished third in Doubles D Flight.
Scott, who was nursing an ankle injury from the beginning of the season, played in her first tournament of the season at the ITA Regionals in Hanover. Scott was back in mid-season form, although her ankle still bothered her. Scott reached the semifinals of the main draw before running into Univeristy of Pennsylvania freshman Connie Hsu, who ended Scott's championship hopes. Other notable singles finishes for the Big Green include Matsuoka, who advanced to the round of 32, and Stewart, who advanced to the round of 64 in the main draw after going through the qualifying draw.
In doubles action, Scott paired up with Matsuoka and advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to Yale University sophomore Vicky Brook and senior Lindsay Clark. The Yale duo went on to win the tournament.
"Our goal for the fall season is very simple," Dallis said. "We have to get better every day. The women on the team have embraced that goal and have done a very good job of it."
After completing its fall schedule, the team has its eyes set on the winter matches and the Ivy League schedule in the spring.
"Our goal is always to win an Ivy League title in the spring, and that starts on Sept. 1," Ryan Reichel said.
Last season, the team started off 3-0 in conference play, but dropped the final four matches to finish with a 3-4 conference record.
"Each year is a new year and a fresh slate," Dallis said. "I concern myself with how much we can improve from now till our next match."
The team will take the next two months off to regroup. The winter season will begin on Jan. 22 at home against Temple University.
