Texas A&M

Hi everyone!

Yesterday we played Texas A&M. The day started with a team breakfast at Nash's. Reka again unsurprised everyone by consuming three giant chocolate pancakes with syrup and butter, and what she called a soup bowl of hot chocolate! So our day was off to an auspicious start.

We were especially pumped becuase it was senior Jess's birthday yesterday. We love Jess and were excited to celebrate with her. As we always do, we spent quality time in the locker room before beginning practice. I sneaked in some knee rehab as I had arthroscopy and a lateral release about 10 days ago. It was also Family Day yesterday and we eagerly anticipated a large crowd. And you guys came :)! As did our favorite Blue Devil mascot. He pranced around, lifting our spirits even higher. So, the match began.

Melissa and Amanda, at No. 1 doubles, played great tennis to crush their opponents 8-3. Our No. 2 and No.3 doubles were a little more dicey. Jess and Mallory came back from from the dead to take the match 9-8, and 7-0 in the tiebreak. Reka and Ellah battled hard to win 8-6 and came up with some gutsy shots in tight situations. Duke = 1, Texam A&M = 0.

Watching from the stands, I was impressed by the way our team handled the singles. One by one, the Duke girls dismantled their opponents and didn't give them a chance. Melissa's mesmerizing forehand, Reka's revitalizing volleys (!!), Mallory's menacing backhand, Ellah's elegant footwork, Amanda's amazing second serve, and Jess's gentle hands (at the net) were all a treat to watch! We won 6-1!

This was a great win since Texas A&M is very good, and the girls still shutout their opponents in a focused, determined way. Helped by our fans... and our very own ubiquitous Crazy Towel Guy. When we returned to the locker room, tired but happy, we found two boxes of chocolate and buttercream cupcakes made by our assistant coach, Kelly. She had made them for Jess's birthday, but obviously we felt the need to help Jess out ;)! They were absolutely delicious. Thanks Kelly!

We hope that you enjoyed the match yesterday. Thank you all for coming, and for supporting us.

Cheers,
Tara

Our first dual match!

We played our first dual match of the season against Old Dominion University yesterday. Understandably, the girls were all nervous, but exited at the same time. It had been more than eight months since we had officially competed as a team (the Fall season comprised of individual tournaments). Liz Plotkin and I could not play due to injury, and we were ready to cheer like crazy!

Our new freshman, Mallory Cecil was businesslike. She pulled back her long blond hair into a tight bun, and stepped onto the court with confidence. Jessi Robinson partnered Mal, and we watched them with eager anticipation. They made a great doubles team! After stuggling through (and winning) a loooooooooooong first game, they effortlessly demolished their opponets. The other doubles teams were more experienced, as the girls had played together last season. They played well, and led the team to the first point.

All this while, more and more people streamed in. They were ready to support the girls, and did so quite loudly! The singles started. Jess, Ellah Nze, Reka Z., and Melissa Mang played superb tennis in the beginning and steamrolled their opponents in the first set. Ellah's opponent, a feisty hitter, came back and even led in the second set. But Ellah, helped by the crowd, triumphed in the end. I must say, the Sprited Freshmen Luke Marchese and David Holland, and the Crazy Towel Guy, didn't exactly keep their voices low! A special thanks to them. Mallory and Amanda Granson were down in the beginning, but came back and dominated in the end. We won 7-0.

The experience was made even more memorable by the people who came to support the team yesterday. I would like to thank you all for watching, and hope you come to the rest of our home matches. You make it fun; we love you!

Thanks for reading,
Tara