Ephs advance to NCAA Quarterfinals May 13th at Gustavus Adolphus

First year head coach Alison Swain's Williams women's tennis team (18-3) fresh off two 5-0 wins in NCAA regional play has punched a ticket to the NCAA Quarterfinals to be held May 13-16 at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.

"I think we are peaking at the right time," said Swain. "The girls feel very confident in both their singles and doubles play.  The matches this weekend were not easy by any means, but we found a way to play well and take the wins across the board.  The team has really come together, and I will spend this week building on player's strengths and fine-tuning any parts of their games that don't quite feel perfect yet."

Swain, who played on the Ephs' first NCAA title team in 2001, has an experienced and deep team. Only first year Nikki Reich who plays third doubles with junior Annie Hancock and fourth singles did not play in last year's tournament. Williams finished fourth last year.

The Eph lineup will have Cary Gibson/Annie Schneidman at number one doubles; Grace Baljon/Allison Rottamp at number two and Reich/Hancock at three. The singles lineup has Gibson at one, Baljon at two, Ashley parsons at three, Reich at four, Rottkamp at five and Hancock at six. Rottkamp and Schneidman are the only seniors in the lineup.

Swain's Ephs are currently ranked third nationally and they will face sixth-ranked Mary Washington University on May 13th at 9:00 am (CST).

Swain does not know much about Mary Washington other than they have some good wins this year and traditionally are a strong team. Mary Washington has a record of 22-3 and the Eagles have advanced to the quarterfinal round for the first time since 1993.

"Honestly, I try to focus on our team," commented Swain. "I know that Mary Washington has had some very good wins this year, and I expect them to be ready to compete hard and play their best on Tuesday. However, I have told the girls all year that we need to focus on what we can control...our half of the court. When we stick to our game plan and work the points in ways that play into our strengths, we play our best tennis. I know that when we play well as a team, we can compete with any team in the country and that will be our focus for the next week."

Added to the excitement of the NCAA quarterfinals and hopefully beyond is the Williams academic calendar with final exams beginning when tournament play begins.

"It is always tough for us this time of year to balance academics and tennis," stated Swain. "The climax of both aspects of these girls college lives falls literally on the same days. The girls are doing a very good job of staying focused when they are at practice and getting all their work done. It is going to be a tough week for everyone, but we are really looking forward to Tuesday. As I tell the girls all the time, expect it to be a battle, and love the battle with every point you play. I know one thing for sure, this team is ready to compete and they will give Tuesday's match everything they've got and then some."

When team play ends on the 16th the NCAA Singles and Doubles Tournaments will be held on May 17 & 18. The Ephs will be represented in singles play by Cary Gibson and Grace Baljon.

The Eph doubles tandem of Gibson and Schneidman is listed as the first alternate for the doubles competition.