After the short fall season, the Washington and Lee women’s tennis team is back in action and preparing to take on four nationally ranked opponents before heading into conference play.
The reigning Old Dominion Athletic Conference champions fell in the round of 16 last year in the NCAA tournament.
Now, the team is in the middle of a tough non-conference stretch. Erin Ness, the head coach, said the competitive games are preparing the team for the post-season in May.
“The way the schedule is set up is we try to play as many nationally ranked teams as possible outside of the conference,” Ness said.
Women’s tennis is no stranger to tough competition. The team is ranked No. 7 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
This weekend, the Generals face No. 30 Mary Washington University and No. 13 Carnegie Mellon University.
Haley Stoltz, ’27, said the team welcomes the challenge.
“I think we’re just really excited to play some more competitive matches,” Stoltz said. “Those are the best matches because it is just more fun to play more competitive teams.”
With the season underway and spring approaching, the 4-1 Generals are beginning the transition to outdoor tennis.
“That’s a whole thing in itself because indoor tennis is a little bit different than playing outside,” Ness said. “You have to adjust to wind and sun, and the ball travels a little bit slower out there.”
Ness also said the team is focusing on sharpening the little details.
“We’re not quite there yet,” she said. “It’s making sure on the deuce points we’re executing, running the patterns that we’re confident with and going for it when we have our opportunities instead of backing off.”
Meagan Donovan, ’25, the team’s only senior, said the team is placing an emphasis on doubles. With five new first-years, the team has been trying out different doubles pairings. She said the team is determined to win, but they are also prioritizing fun.
“In our first three matches we struggled to win the doubles point, so that’s one focus we have going into the next couple weeks, as well as just having a good balance between competing and fun,” Donovan said. “I feel like if you don’t have the fun aspect, it’s a lot harder to give your all on the court.”
Ness said that although the season is in its early stages, the team’s work ethic and energy have been high since the start, something she attributes to both past and future success.
“We’re a young team,” she said. “Definitely we still have a lot of growing to do, but especially in the matches, the energy is there. They’re competing really hard, and the cheering and support has been a fun environment to be in.”
