This past weekend, the No. 9 Maroons (6–3), narrowly missed out on an opportunity to stake a claim as the best team in the country as they fell short at the ITA National Championship. In a crowded, intimidating field that included the likes of Johns Hopkins, Wash U, and several other foes, the Maroons came home in third place with wins coming against Wash U and DePauw.
While the Maroons may have gotten home from the Greencastle, IN tournament site only a few short days ago, they will be making a return trip this Sunday as they have a rematch against DePauw, coincidently on the same courts on which the Maroons defeated them less than a week ago.
To give a quick recap, the Maroons dispatched the No. 11 DePauw Tigers (3–3) last Friday by a match score of 6–3. In tearing down the Tigers, the Maroons were led by players on both the doubles and singles sides. For doubles, the Maroons were able to count on wins from the pairs of second-year Tiffany Chen and first-year Courtney Warren, as well as the pair of fourth-year Megan Tang and first-year Ariana Iranpour.
Meanwhile, on the singles side, the Maroons had wins from Iranpour, Tang, Chen, and first-year Jasmine Lee. All in all, the Maroons had six points against DePauw that propelled them to the victory, and the semifinals of the ITA National Indoor Championship.
While the Maroons may have easily dispatched the Tigers, they are not going to take any chances this weekend. The South Siders refuse to let the Tigers exact revenge, and they are already preparing a counterattack to the certain adjustments DePauw will make in anticipation of this Sunday’s match.
“Yeah, we might be switching up doubles teams, and we’re working on different formations at the net,” Chen said.
Similarly, the Maroons have no intentions of getting lazy, especially when this match signals the end of their indoor season. They want to end it on a high note, and they plan on bringing everything to the table.
“This weekend, we need to keep up our energy level, as it is a lot of tennis,” Tang said. “If we can do that, we will play well.”
Aside from this upcoming match, it is also important to take a farther look ahead for the Maroons. This Sunday marks their last indoor match, and from here they will travel to the warmer tides of Claremont, CA for spring break. However, while the warm beaches of California are inviting for the Maroons, they are not looking too far ahead and still realize they have a claim to stake this weekend.
“We’re looking to bring back a strong win and to prove that we deserve to be in the top 10,” Chen said.
With that, the Maroons will travel to DePauw this Sunday for a match that is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. If the Maroons win, they will likely solidify their place in the Top 10 rankings in anticipation of the upcoming outdoor season.
