Fall success has been a mainstay for the women’s tennis team recently, and this year was no different. Dominating may be the only word to describe the season women’s tennis has had.
With a record of 11-1, 6-0 in the North Eastern Athletic Conference, the Lady Spartans rolled into the NEAC final with eyes on nothing but the prize. Waiting for them is Lyndon State, who the Spartans have already handled twice on the season with relative ease.
“We knew going in that they had stacked their roster so there were some nerves, but we managed to almost shut them out,” senior Brittni Racine said.
Even with the pressure of being in the championship, the Spartans had no problem with the Hornets from Lyndon State, punishing them by a score of 8-1.
Castleton swept the doubles portion of the match, giving them a 3-0 lead going into singles action. Any worries about a stacked roster had dissipated.
Michelle Podnecky and Kate Bucci took an 8-3 win in first doubles. Following this were equally impressive doubles wins by Racine and Chelsea Crehan, 8-1, and Kristen McGinn and Alyssa Panasci, 8-2.
“Heading into singles up 3-0 gave us so much confidence. We just played,” Racine said.
Just playing is exactly what helped them win the NEAC.
Throughout the year, first-year coach Rob Purdy had these girls working on every part of their game. Needless to say, there was no learning curve for any of the ladies.
With a combined win percentage of .833, .917 in conference play, the Spartans look poised to continue their winning ways for years to follow.
Podnecky was a force at number one this season, posting an overall record of 10-2. For any opponent who thought that the assault was over after the strong number one, they were sadly mistaken.
Racine, McGinn, and Crehan all posted records with at least 12 wins. Those numbers can make it tough for any opponent looking for confidence to find it.