Guess What?

Margaret Anne Smith

You guessed it. Margaret Anne Smith wins again. This makes four in a row and today at number 5 singles. Margaret Anne had  her mental game as strong as her physical tennis game today as she took on Kelsey Whelpley from Springfield College. The match started at 5 and the two were still battling close to 8pm at the home of the Pride. The score does not tell the entire story as Margaret Anne clenched the victory in straight sets winning 6-4, 6-4 .  The rallies were long, the soccer music from the adjoining fields was loud and the cheering was often distracting but Margaret Anne was unflappable as she focused on the ball never showing the first sign of being distracted.

Other notable matches of the day included number 1 singles of Kelli Cheung and number 2 singles of Ruth Yi.   Both players played decisive offensive points taking their opponents to third set tiebreakers before succumbing.  Although Springfield won the overall match 8-1,  if you were there, you might have guessed a different outcome.

Smith Participates in the ITA regionals

Members of the Smith College tennis team resumed participation in the ITA regional tournament after a one year hiatus from the event.  The Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional event represents the best of the best in DIII tennis both regionally and nationally.  Smith sent four members of the squad this year to compete in ITA at Williams College on Friday and Saturday afternoon, Sept 26 and 27.  The weather cooperated and all play was on the exquisite multi-court outdoor tennis complex at Williams.  Kelli Cheung and Jordan Dubin represented The Pioneers in singles and Margaret Anne Smith and Seema Samawi were the Smith doubles representatives. 

Kelli had a fun first match against a talented Babson seed and Kelli loved it.  She was able to stay in with the aggressive player toe to toe for the first few games. She hit many decisive winners but she could not  string enough together to add to the games she earned.   Kelli fell victim to  a Simmons "slicer dicer"  on day 2.   She set up her big forehand weapon time and time again but a few too many unforced errors took her down.  She will be ready for this type of player next time!

After a slow start on Friday, Jordan Dubin played very well in her second match against the number 1 from Simmons. She showed her prowess in shot making and and her competitive side as she moved from aggressive baseliner to all court player. 

Margaret Anne and Seema were able to play consolation singles as well as main draw doubles. Emmay went three sets with her Simmons opponent before succumbing. She is mastering a new strategy and she used it fearlessly in the match.

 Both Emmay and Seema played some solid points against the Brandeis team on Sat. but it was not enough to bring a victory.  Overall, even though scores were weighted to the opponents, there were many positive moments and lots of learning experiences to share with the team.  

A special thanks to Alexandra Steck for supporting the players by coming to the ITA on Saturday!

For all the details of tournament results, see the Smith College athletic page (www.smithpioneers.com)

Another Win for Margaret Anne!

Margaret Anne Smith does it again!  Margaret Anne or Emmay, as she affectionately called, chalked up another win on Tuesday night, Sept 23.  This win makes  three in a row against formidable opponents.  Her only loss was a two and a half hour 3 set battle in Smith's opening match against Wellesley where only two points divided her from a victory or loss. From that point on, it had been wins against Babson, Wheaton and now Mount Holyoke!  To add the icing on the cake, Margaret Anne paired up with Samantha Peikes for a doubles win as well. Margaret Anne leads the charge but watch for a few other Pioneers stepping up as well. Christine Yee notched her second win on Tuesday in an exhibition position and Samantha Peikes has managed to gain the doubles win but keeps her opponent on the court in singles long after the majority of matches have ended.  Smith Tennis will not succumb to second place in dual matches without a fight so as the overall scores keep improving, watch for the next match as Smith takes on Springfield College at the Pride's home court on Sept. 30.

Oh Say Did You Hear.......

......the beautiful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner sung by Margaret Anne Smith at our newly renovated outdoor tennis center. The event took place on Sept 20 at the beginning of the first home match of the fall season.  Margaret Anne showed us just how talented she is by capturing the attention of all present as she graced us with her beautiful voice. Not only a gifted vocalist, Margaret Anne  is also a valuable member of the Smith College Tennis Team bringing in the lone singles win of the idyllic fall day.  Pitted against the number six from Wheaton College, it took Margaret Anne a relatively short time to size up her opponent and then hone in on the winning strategy. Her strength is based on consistency but don't be fooled, she knows every strength and weakness of her opponents and she uses it to her credit.

Margaret Anne represents the many talented and gifted students who attend Smith and the Tennis Team is fortunate, indeed, to have her share both her tennis talents and her musical ability with us.

Who Is Next?

Margaret Anne Smith, playing number 6 singles for Smith, once again took to the courts with determination and a winning game bringing in the lone singles win for the Pioneers against the Babson Beavers.  The Smith team traveled to Babson on an idyllic Sunday morning.   It was the second match for Smith this season.  As you can see, the team remains undaunted by the recent team loss and with two challenging matches behind them, Smith Tennis will be home on September 20.  The team is eager to host Wheaton in their new outdoor facility so we hope the weather will accommodate.  The game is scheduled for 1pm.  Please join us if you can. Here is hoping for good weather and a great match.

First Home Match Coming Soon

Our first home match will be September 20 on the newly renovated outdoor courts.  We love to brag about our top rated facility!  When the contractor was asked about the quality of the new facility, he said that the courts are better than the US Open courts in Flushing Meadow!  Wow!  Come see for yourself and watch the Smith Tennis Team in action against Wheaton College.  

Smith Tennis is  headed for Babson on Sunday, Sept 14.  The team will being playing at 11am.  Please come and cheer if you are in the Boston area.  In the first match of the season, Smith played Wellesley  at Wellesley on a very hot and sticky day.  We were fortunate to get the match in before the rain but not as fortunate with the results.  Margaret Anne Smith was our star for the day keeping the formidable Wellesley player on the singles court for over two hours, long after all other matches finished.  As both teams lined up to cheer for their player, Margaret Anne stayed strong and showed no sign of letting up physically or mentally throughout the long three set match even when faced with 90 degree weather conditions.  Two points were all that separated Margaret Anne from the win or the loss.  It was exciting and an inspirational start to the fall, 2014 season.