2018 Preseason Captain's Interviews
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's tennis team won 10 matches last year and advanced to the semifinals of the Centennial Conference Tournament as the Fords were playing their best tennis towards the end of the season, headlined by a 5-1 win against Washington College in the conference's first round matchup. With several players returning from that team, expectations are high for another successful campaign in 2018 as head coach Andrew Cohn begins his first season at Haverford.
Sophomore Emily Shutman and senior Greta Koch filled the first two spots in the Haverford lineup last spring and will be relied upon near the top of the singles lineup again this season. Shutman played No. 1 singles last spring and won five matches. Koch, who is a team co-captain, was an honorable mention All-Centennial Conference performer during the 2015 season and has 27 career victories in singles to her credit. She played No. 2 singles during each of her first three years with the team.
Junior Jane Bary was named to the Centennial Conference All-Sportsmanship Team last year and went 9-3 overall in singles, playing primarily at the No. 4 position in the lineup. She was 6-1 against Centennial Conference competition in singles matches in her first year with the team. The Fords also have plenty of players with experience ready to fill the vacant spots in the lineup due to graduation. Co-captain Jia-Ling Tuan has 11 singles wins during her career, playing as high as No. 3 singles throughout her career. Izzy Angstman added two wins a season ago, with both coming against conference foes. Annika Ulrich, Renata DiDonato, and Mima Khazanov also have wins in singles during their career.
Doubles was a strength of the team last season with Clara Farrehi's 13 wins, seven of which came in conference matches, leading the team. She played most frequently at No. 3 doubles a year ago. Koch played No. 1 doubles and was part of a paring that recorded four of its five wins in the top position against conference foes. The only full pairing to return is the duo of Shutman and Bary, went 9-3 together – with a 7-2 CC record – at the No. 2 doubles slot.
The lineup will also be bolstered by talented newcomers to the team. Julia Gan advanced to the Round of 32 at the ITA Southeast Regional championship singles draw during the fall and will look for continued success in her first spring with the team. First year players Sam Berg, Sarah Evenson, Ananya Prakash, and Natalie Williams join the team looking to make their mark on the program during the coming matches.
A team consistently ranked among the region's best in recent years, women's tennis has made the Centennial Conference Tournament during eight of the past nine seasons. The Fords have made it to at least the semifinal round during all but one of those appearances. Haverford's lone appearance in the championship match came during the 2014 season. The team was predicted for a third place finish in the Centennial Conference standings in the preseason poll of the conference's head coaches after a fourth place showing in 2017.