Women’s Season Preview: #8 Washington U. (St.Louis)

Washington University of St. Louis
Head Coach: Kelly Stahlhuth(10th season)

2011-12: #13 Nat./#4 Reg.
2012-13: #12 Nat./#2 Reg.
2013-14: #8 Nat./#1 Reg.
2014-15: #8 Nat./#1 Reg.

The bears of Washington University are fresh off an outstanding Spring NCAA run and ITA Fall tournament. Their Regional final with DePauw was long, tiring, and emotionally tough to watch. UP and down momentum swings was sure to leave a long lasting scar to the team that would come up short. The Bears emerged after surging back from a 1-2 deficit to win four of the six singles and advance to the elite 8 with a 5-2 win. With a #1 Regional ranking and #8 National ranking for the second year in row, the bears announced themselves as NCAA championship contenders to watch our for.

Line-up Analysis: Coach Kelly Stahlhuth lost three starters to graduation making Wash U. look like they will be relying on their top three. A year long grind and a Fall ITA later, Coach Stahlhuth has brought in two stud freshman in Grace Deering and Kate Lee. Sr. Hannah Newstadt and So. Kaylan Griffin will look to upgrade some lost depth with experience and talent. With the sophomore explosion out of Rebecca Ho, look for the 1-2 singles switch that will allow Jr. Jamie Silverberg to come out nearly unbeatable with her steady grinding style of play.

Projected Line-Up:

#1 Singles: So. Rebecca Ho – After her run to the ITA national tournament, it was
inevitable she would become permanently set at #1 singles. She has elite power and has the weapons needed to knock off any player in the country. She can tend to get streaky and will need to build off a full year playing in the top two to get her through a few moments.

#2 Singles: Jr. Jamie Silverberg – A grueling competitor who is extrememly athletic. Jamie is a workhorse who will challenge anyone she faces to win the match because she certainly won’t lose it.

#3 Singles: Jr. Aly Coran – A solid depth fixture for the Bears who can help swing the depth in the line-up. She accounted for 12 wins last year including a straight set win in the Regional final of last years NCAAs.

#4 Singles: Fr. Grace Deering – This is a very talented freshman who is most likely strong enough to play three singles. Putting her at 4 to start is a smart move by Coach Stahlhuth so she can build some confidence in the first part of the season. She will be challenging for a top 8 regional position if she can play her way into the top 2-3 in the line-up as previewed by a win over nationally ranked Nancy Benda.

#5 Singles: Sr. Hannah Newstadt – Senior veteran that contribute mainly in doubles, but has the experience to play the #5 spot very strongly.

#6 Singles: Fr. Kate Lee – Another talented freshman who is certainly going to make the top six by midseason.

#1 DoubleS: Ho/Silverberg – If it works, why break it.
#2 Doubles: Deering/Newstadt – freshman/senior combo – will be up and down
#3 Doubles: Coran/Borovsky – Experienced combination, will struggle with elite teams.

Schedule:

Sun. 15 at #11 DePauw 12:30 PM EST
Fri. 27 vs. #17 Skidmore Greencastle, Ind. 10:00 AM EST
Sat. 28 vs. ITA National Team Indoor Championships Greencastle, Ind.

MARCH
Sun. 1 vs. ITA National Team Indoor Championships Greencastle, Ind.
Sun. 8 vs. Kenyon Claremont, Calif. 9:00 AM PDT
at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 2:00 PM PDT
Mon. 9 vs. Rochester (N.Y.) Claremont, Calif. 9:00 AM PDT
Tue. 10 at Redlands 3:00 PM PDT
Wed. 11 vs. Bowdoin 1:00 PM PDT
Tue. 17 McPherson 3:30 PM CDT
Wed. 25 Maryville (Mo.) 4:00 PM CDT
Tue. 31 McKendree 4:00 PM CDT

APRIL
Fri. 3 vs. Madison Invitational Madison, Wis. TBA
Sat. 4 vs. Madison Invitational Madison, Wis. TBA
Fri. 10 Texas-Tyler Dwight Davis Tennis Center 4:00 PM CDT
Sat. 11 Chicago Dwight Davis Tennis Center 9:00 AM CDT
UW-Whitewater 2:00 PM CDT
Tue. 14 UMSL 4:30 PM CDT
Thu. 23 vs. UAA Championship * UAA Championship Quarterfinal TBA
Fri. 24 vs. UAA Championship * TBA
Sat. 25 vs. UAA Championship * TBA

Schedule Analysis: Washington University’s biggest downfall as a program is the geographical isolation it faces. It is hard to travel outside their 6 hour radius to play elite teams, unfortunately that may be 98% of Division III. They do play regional powerhouses DePauw, Chicago, and even UW-Whitewater. They will be counting on a challenging Spring Break to keep their national ranking up and their shot at a Pool C. Matches with CMS and Redlands will help maintain their top 10 standing as well as a showdown with NESCAC’s Bowdoin. A deep run at ITA indoor nationals will also be the key to their season, since their rivals in the UAA are getting stronger fast.

Keys to Success:

1) Doubles: They have some talent, especially in their top 2 teams. They need to win 2 of 3 to get an edge on the elite teams in conference and their big regional match-ups in DePauw and Chicago.

2) Grace Deering: Grace may be unbeatable at #4 singles, I do not expect her to stay there to long, but this is a pivotal spot for the Bears that give the bears an edge in depth against almost anyone outside of the top 5.

3) Veterans or Freshman: Hannah Newstadt or Kate Lee or Kaylan Griffin? The 5-6 spots will be what determine if Wash U will contend for a championship or fall in the elite 8 pr earlier again.