Both the Terrapin men's and women's tennis teams got off to roaring starts last weekend, winning three matches in comfortable fashion. This weekend, however, will bring more demanding tests, as well as a better idea of just how far they have come since last year.
The men's squad, ranked No. 71 and fresh off of three home victories against local teams George Washington, UMBC and Howard, today makes the journey to Charlottesville, Va., where they will encounter the nation's top-ranked team, Virginia.
There, they'll encounter a team brimming with high-end talent. Five players ranked in the ITA's Top 30 highlight Virginia's squad. The Terps (3-0) counter with only two ranked players: No. 36 Maros Horny and No. 117 Sergio Wyss, who lost his first two singles matches against George Washington and UMBC.
"It's very unusual to have that many players ranked that high," coach Kyle Spencer said. "They're very well rounded, and Virginia's been the beast of our conference for about the last five years."
Things won't get any easier for the Terps when they get back to College Park, where they will face No. 57 Cornell (5-1) on Sunday.
Coached by former Virginia assistant Tony Bresky, the Big Red is one of the favorites in the Ivy League this year and will serve as a benchmark for the Terps to see where they stand early in the season.
"You learn your reputation by knocking off teams," Spencer said. "Our guys are getting used to facing this type of competition, and they know what they have to do. We're excited about the opportunity, but we have to put ourselves in a position to be successful."
The 3-0 women's team, meanwhile, will compete against Boston College and No. 64 Brown in a trip to the Northeast, where they will look to dispose of a haunting streak.
In ACC foe Boston College (1-1), the women's team has an opportunity to net its first conference victory in almost two years. The Terps have lost 18 straight league matches since they defeated NC State, 4-3, on March 22, 2009.
"This is an exciting opportunity, and it definitely puts a spring in our step," said women's coach Howard Joffe, whose Terps also play Brown (0-3) tomorrow.
Jordaan Sanford and Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar will be counted on in singles, where they are undefeated with three victories apiece, and in doubles, where they have taken all three matches played up to this point.
This juncture in the women's season, however early, may be the start of something big, Joffe said. With key victories this weekend, the Terps could turn heads around the ACC and elsewhere.
"The goal of this team, in the long run, is to be a national powerhouse, in the ACC as well as on a national scale," he said. "As we play these tough opponents, we will be getting better and handling ourselves in a professional way. If we continue to do this, we will earn those emblems of performance that we all strive for."
nmunson@umdbk.com
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