Trinity
Quick Facts:
Location: Hartford, CT
Coach: Wendy Bartlett, 31st year!
2012 National/Regional Ranking: #21/#9
2013 National/Regional Ranking: #18/#6
2014 National/Regional Ranking: #17/#8
2015 Preseason National/Regional Ranking: #18/#9
Twitter handle: @LadyBantTennis
Intro:
I’ve alluded in previous previews that Trinity will have a rebuilding year this year. As I’ve had a chance to look at their projected lineup more closely in doing this preview, they are in more of a rebuilding year than I originally thought, and Coach Bartlett’s squad might be in danger of falling out of the top 30 altogether for the first time in many years. They do have a strong #1 in Ferjanic, but their depth is really nonexistent this year. Last year their #3-#6 were all seniors, and while they didn’t always get it done in doubles, they did compete with a sense of urgency in singles.
Lineup Analysis:
#1 Singles: Ferjanic, (8.60), junior
Ferjanic is a strong #1 and will be looked to by her teammates in terms of expectations for the team. She had a phenomenal freshman year as she qualified for the NCAA singles tournament. She went through somewhat of a sophomore slump but she is a good enough competitor to come back and have a good junior year.
#2 Singles: Feldman, (7.79), junior
Feldman seemed to be MIA for the fall (abroad?) but hopefully she will be back for the spring. If not, this team is really going to struggle with depth.
#3 Singles: Babunski, (6.31), freshman
Babunski played in the ITAs but withdrew due to injury. Curious to see what she and fellow freshman Aliev can do in the middle of the lineup.
#4 Singles: Aliev, (6.66), freshman
#5 Singles: Zimmer?, (3.00), senior
This is where the lineup really falls off. Having players with UTRs of 3.00 at #5 and #6 is going to be tough. It looks like they have other players on the roster with higher UTRs but I’m just going off of who played which bracket in the NEWITTs and Zimmer and Hawkins appeared to play higher than those other players. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if some other players stepped up to #5 and #6
#6 Singles: Hawkins?, (3.00), junior
#1 Doubles: Ferjanic/Feldman
#2 Doubles: Babunski/Aliev
#3 Doubles: Zimmer/Hawkins or Curtis/Curtis?
Schedule Analysis/Pool C:
Here is Schedule:
http://athletics.trincoll.edu/sports/wten/2014-15/schedule
3/17 at #31 Chapman
3/18 at v #6 Bowdoin
3/19 at #5 CMS
3/20 v #28 Denison
3/21 at Cal Lutheran
4/1 v Conn Coll
4/3 TBA
4/4 at #13 Babson
4/5 TBA
4/7 at #3 Amherst
4/10 v #25 Brandeis
4/11 v #16 Tufts
4/18 v Hamilton
4/19 v Colby
4/22 at #34 Wesleyan
4/25 at #17 Skidmore
5/1-5/3 NESCACs
Trinity starts their spring schedule right away with 5 matches (on consecutive days!!!) in SoCal, the destination of a lot of the elite teams. They start with #31 Chapman. Honestly I’m not sure Trinity can win this match unless they can get 2 of 3 from doubles and/or someone in the bottom half of the lineup steps up. I think #1 doubles can be relied upon to get the win. It might be a little tough for #3 doubles. So it comes down to #2 doubles, but the problem is that both players are freshmen, not a good formula for success in doubles right away. Perhaps Coach Bartlett will split them to add a bit more skill at #3 and a bit more experience at #2. In any case, in singles, the top #1-#4 should have close matches; I’m just not sure whoever plays #5 or #6 will have enough experience. Then things don’t get any easier as they face the #6 and #5 opponents in CMS. These matches will be good for Ferjanic to see if she can pull off some upsets, but will be too steep of a challenge for the rest of her team. Next they play #28 Denison and will run into the same problem as they did against Chapman. From what I see, Denison plays good doubles, so that will present a challenge to the Bantams right away. They end their SoCal trip against Cal Lutheran, and should come away with a win unless they are spent from the 4 matches they had previously.
When they come back to Hartford, they will face Conn College, another team they should (need) to beat. The next 4 teams they face (#13 Babson, #3 Amherst, #25 Brandeis, #16 Tufts) may just be too tough for Trinity this year. The most interesting match may be Brandeis, as they both have similar lineups (strong at the top, but weak at the bottom). However, I think Brandeis has a slightly stronger lineup at all positions, so they should wind up taking the match. Then they play 2 more NESCAC foes in Hamilton and Colby. Trinity should take both matches, even though Hamilton appears to be getting stronger every year. Then comes an up and coming Wesleyan. Looking at the potential lineups, it looks like Wesleyan is just too strong at every position, and should take this match in order to clinch a spot in the NESCACs for the first time in a very long time. Then they finish the year against an equally young but much stronger Skidmore, which will probably be their last match of the year, since they will most likely not qualify for NESCACs, and be very far from qualifying for Pool C. Hopefully it won’t be the last match for Ferjanic.
Trinity Keys to Success:
#1. Ferjanic – Melita Ferjanic will need to be a rock in terms of her performances at #1 AND in terms of being a leader for this young and inexperienced team. She needs to be the one to bring her teammates with her to try and achieve excellence. Her team may not accomplish much this year in terms of wins and losses but Ferjanic can start her legacy for the Bantams now by being an effective leader from the top position.
ALSO – we have an “interview with a coach” scheduled for the middle of March (to be posted on TRN), and are currently taking volunteers. If you are interested, please email me at d3northeastwomens@gmail.com
Well, there you go, I hope you enjoyed reading!!!!
D3NEW