2008 Woodie Awards
Women's tennis looking to execute
Dan Morrison
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Sports
The Terrapin women's tennis team was on the wrong side of a 7-0 match earlier this week against Duke, but they hope to be on the winning end when they take on Miami (Ohio) on Saturday.
Before the Terps ran into the No. 9 Blue Devils, they were playing some of their best tennis of the season.
Coach Martin Novak called his team's recent practices some of the best of the season, adding that they were filled with high levels of intensity and excitement.
Now, the Terps hope they can translate their solid play in practice to execution in matches.
"We can improve on trusting ourselves and being able to copy our performance in practice onto our matches," junior co-captain Michal Amir said.
If the Terps want to start up another hot streak against Miami, they'll need solid play from all singles positions and improved play at the doubles spots. Novak mentioned that spotty doubles play has haunted his team so far this season, and improving in that area will be a key to their success.
The pressure the players felt playing against Duke will likely not be a factor against the RedHawks. Novak expects his team to come out with a lot of energy, something he said they've worked on in recent matches.
"They're a solid team, but they're no Duke," Novak said of Miami. "If we come out and play the way we've practiced, we should get the positive results we want."
Although Novak said he is pleased with how his team is starting to come around, he stressed the fact that there is still plenty of room for improvement on his young squad.
If the Terps keep progressing the way they have been the last two weeks, they could find themselves on the winning side of 7-0 matches more often.
sports@dbk.umd.edu
Before the Terps ran into the No. 9 Blue Devils, they were playing some of their best tennis of the season.
Coach Martin Novak called his team's recent practices some of the best of the season, adding that they were filled with high levels of intensity and excitement.
Now, the Terps hope they can translate their solid play in practice to execution in matches.
"We can improve on trusting ourselves and being able to copy our performance in practice onto our matches," junior co-captain Michal Amir said.
If the Terps want to start up another hot streak against Miami, they'll need solid play from all singles positions and improved play at the doubles spots. Novak mentioned that spotty doubles play has haunted his team so far this season, and improving in that area will be a key to their success.
The pressure the players felt playing against Duke will likely not be a factor against the RedHawks. Novak expects his team to come out with a lot of energy, something he said they've worked on in recent matches.
"They're a solid team, but they're no Duke," Novak said of Miami. "If we come out and play the way we've practiced, we should get the positive results we want."
Although Novak said he is pleased with how his team is starting to come around, he stressed the fact that there is still plenty of room for improvement on his young squad.
If the Terps keep progressing the way they have been the last two weeks, they could find themselves on the winning side of 7-0 matches more often.
sports@dbk.umd.edu
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