In the Central Region, we are excited about the weeks to come as the ladies’ season has already begun. This past weekend was the first chance for several teams to knock the dust off their racquets and it was our first chance to see some of the freshmen and roster additions in action. Even though we did a preview in the fall, let’s remind ourselves of the top Central Region teams this year…..
University of Chicago:
- Preseason ITA Ranking (National): 8
- 2019 Season Record: 16-6
- New Faces: Isabella Gomez, Claudia Ng, Amanda Sharng, Perene Wang, Brigitte Wu
- Have Gone Places: Marjorie Antohi (studying abroad until March 31)
- Big Matches: (02/28) ITA D3 National Team Indoor Championship, (03/25) Midd, (03/27) CMS
After last year’s loss of 6 players mid-season, the Maroons are entering this season strong with all remaining players returning and the addition of several more. We got a sneak peak of this young team in the Fall season, and there was much to be impressed by. You can tell they’ve been concentrating on doubles, as in the past they weren’t very consistent at winning the doubles points. It appears that the pairing of Wang/Ng may be the combination that they need to consistently secure a doubles point. However with Marjorie Antohi studying abroad, Chicago’s strength is going to be its 2nd year players. Lauren Park and Nicole Semenov are the team leaders and can be consistently counted on to bring the win. Freshman player Perene Wang has a 9.52 UTR, but hasn’t had a chance yet to show us what she’s got. She did play 5th last week against Lewis, and we will have to see if she stays in that position. We will be watching. So between the dynamic doubles team of Wang/Ng, the 2 sophomore players, and a talented Wang, Chicago could go far, counting on securing at least 4 points easily each match. Last year Chicago struggled to stay in the top 10, but with the infusion of new players, it should be easier for them to remain in the top 10.
Kenyon College:
- Preseason ITA Ranking (National): 14
- 2019 Season Record: 19-4
- New Faces: Catriona Macintosh, Erika Pontillo
- Have Gone Places: Annie Reiner, Maggie Sweeney
- Big Matches: (03/08) CMU, (03/09) Wes,
The return of junior Erica Oku to the roster makes us very happy! She is a fighter and has tremendous sportsmanship. Last year this team was plagued by a lot of injuries, but we are hopeful they will be healthy for the coming season and ready to put their best play forward. The heart of the team is senior Megan Collins, and though she isn’t consistently in the line-up, her energy on the sidelines definitely will help this team make a push to try to reach the top 10.
Washington University in St. Louis
- Preseason ITA Ranking (National): 20
- 2019 Season Record: 12-12
- New Faces: Angela Huang, Sophia Huynh, Leslie Ligier, Anke Patel,
- Have Gone Places: Lisa Chionis, Brigitte Hodge, Ashley Lessen, Carina Greenberg, Libby Jubas, Sarah Mabee, Stephanie Ren
- Big Matches: (02/23) W&L, (02/08) Caltech, (02/10) Bowdoin, (02/11) CMS, (04/11) Chicago
This team took a hit last year with the graduation of Grace Deering, and this was reflected in their drop in ranking down to 20. This year with the loss of Ashley Lessen from the line-up, this team has another challenging year ahead of them. In the fall ITA Regional Ally Persky suffered a hard-fought three set loss to UChicago’s Nicole Semenov, and both players’ level was so high, that it will be exciting to see if this will be Persky’s breakout year. Freshmen Ligier and Huang have strong UTR’s (>8.6), and it will be interesting to see where they will be in the lineup. I have to say that WashU has the toughest season out of all the Central’s teams. They have many tough matches ahead, but they are not afraid of the competition.
Denison University:
- Preseason ITA Ranking (National): 25
- 2019 Season Record: 13-9
- New Faces: Monique Brual, Sydney Cianciola, Izzy Hart, Sarah Robertson
- Have Gone Places: Emma Alsup, Courtney Brown, Ashley Hammons, Lauren Hawley, Megan Hickey, Charlotte Purnode
- Big Matches: (02/09) Chicago, (03/26) Kenyon, (03/30) CMU, (04/06) WashU
Having lost 6 players going into this season, the roster is going to look unrecognizable. In the fall every position had new players, so Denison is entering this season with a question mark on how they will do. Last year Denison made it to the Elite 8 at NCAAs Doubles, with the team of Alsup and Hawley, who have both graduated. They do have freshman Sydney Cianciola who was OH ‘s state doubles champion, so she could be an interesting addition and keep Denison’s history of strong doubles alive. They have a well balanced schedule this season, with some challenging matches and some easier face-offs.