No. 17 women’s tennis (10-6, 4-4 NESCAC) dominated in a 7-0 sweep against the Hamilton Continentals (9-6, 3-5 NESCAC) at home on Saturday, before falling 5-2 to the No. 19 Amherst Mammoths (9-5, 6-2 NESCAC) the next day.
Saturday’s game carried extra significance as a crowd of coaches, professors, and friends turned out to celebrate Senior Day for Jane Ladaga ’26 and Mia Thomann ’26. Before the match, teammates surprised the two co-captains with posters, flowers, and gift baskets. “When they gave those gifts, I felt very happy and grateful to have a team like that,” Ladaga told the Record. “It was so nice seeing so many people show up.”
The sweep over the Continentals did not come without obstacles, as windy conditions interfered with the accuracy of the players’ shots. “The ball would be in one place, but then the wind takes it, so it was definitely a challenge,” Ladaga said. “I think we did a good job handling the wind, and were able to hit the ball despite it.”
Ayanna Varma ’29 emphasized the importance of taking time in between points to clear their heads. “As a team, we really focus on the controllables — taking a solid 25 seconds between points, staying present, and moving well,” Varma wrote to the Record.
This weekend’s game also came amid some recent lineup changes from Head Coach Anik Cepeda. One such change came the week prior, when Julia Zhang ’27 and Ahn Lin ’27 moved from the No. 2 to the No. 1 doubles spot.
Lin embraced the new challenge with a sense of purpose. “The primary focus for Julia and me at [No. 1 doubles] is maintaining our self-belief by reminding ourselves that we can compete with every team we play,” she wrote in a message to the Record. “Our goal is to compete with high intensity and really trust the plays we’ve developed throughout the season.”
Despite the move, which pushed the pair to take on tougher competition, they opened with a 6-2 win against the Continentals, earning praise from their teammates for their quick adjustment. “I’m so proud of Ahn and Julia for playing number one doubles, because that was a big shift within our team,” Ladaga said. “It’s a very high pressure situation, but they took it with grace and didn’t back down.”
The Ephs proceeded to win all subsequent matches across doubles and singles, ending with an overall score of 7-0 against Hamilton. Ladaga attributed Saturday’s victory to the team’s rapport. “We made it a point to do better supporting each other on court,” she said. “I think that was part of the reason why we won.”
The Ephs, however, were unable to secure a victory in Sunday’s game, falling 5-2 against the Mammoths. Starting the day with indoor doubles at the newly built Multipurpose Recreation Center, the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles teams came up short, losing 6-3 and 6-1, respectively. The No. 3 doubles team, consisting of Ladaga and Katelyn Wu ’29, secured a 7-5 victory. This win, however, was not enough to earn the Ephs the doubles point, which went to the Mammoths after they secured two out of the three doubles wins.
Despite the early losses in the doubles round, the Ephs were able to secure victories in singles. Ladaga won 6-3, 6-2, while Varma won 6-4, 7-5. Zhang also fought in a close match, finishing in just under three hours, but fell to the Mammoths after losing the second of two tiebreak sets. “Over the course of the season, there are always variables [affecting our performance] — injuries, academic workload, lineup changes, but I think we’ve really grown in how we compete together,” Varma wrote. “Everyone has improved individually, but more importantly, we’ve become stronger as a team in how we handle pressure and support each other.”
As the season comes to a close next week, the Ephs credit their camaraderie for their success, and emphasize the importance of supporting each other both on and off the courts. “Tennis can be mentally demanding on your own,” Varma wrote. “Having teammates that are competing alongside you, supporting you, and pushing you in practice has really helped me rediscover my love for the game.”
Lin also credited the team’s ability to look at their past performances and adapt as a source of growth. “A strength of our program is our ability to reflect on each match and utilize the following week of practice to level up,” she wrote.
Looking ahead, the Ephs remain focused on finishing the season strong. “At this point in the season, we are all trying to be at our competitive best and honestly just have a lot of fun,” Varma wrote.
The Ephs will next compete against the No. 12 Bowdoin Bears (8-6, 5-2 NESCAC) and Colby Mules (7-7, 3-4 NESCAC) in Maine this weekend.
