By Alex Coleman ‘24
After six weeks of dedicated training on and off the court, the PPWT (Pomona-Pitzer Women’s Tennis) Team geared up for an intense “spring break season.” With seven matches over a two-week period, the Sagehens dialed in for some fierce competition.
Week 1 began on Saturday, March 12, with a decisive 7-2 win over the now No. 3-ranked Emory University and an 8-1 win over the No. 7-ranked University of the South (Sewanee) on Monday, March 14. A singles sweep in both of these matches set the tone for the following matches. The Hens earned a tough 6-3 win against a talented team from No. 9-ranked Amherst College on Tuesday, March 15, to close out the first three matches of the week.
As a fun break from Claremont, the PPWT Team headed down to San Diego on Wednesday, March 16. After tacos and a walk on the beach Wednesday night, the Sagehens battled an NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school, the University of Saint Katherine, and clinched a tight 4-3 win. With Friday, March 18, off, the Hens enjoyed some last-minute beach time in San Diego, watched the men’s team compete in the Stag-Hen tournament, and caught up on rest after a long week.
Week 2 began on Sunday, March 20, when the Sagehens cruised to an 8-1 win over No. 16-ranked Bowdoin College, and got back into the swing of classes on Monday, March 21, and Tuesday, March 22. Wednesday, March 23, presented a tough challenge against a strong team from the No. 8-ranked Middlebury College. But the Hens battled to a 5-4 win under the lights. Marissa Markey ‘25 spoke about the high energy and grit that the PPWT Team showed that night. “Everyone was fighting so hard, and after losing my first set, I was able to come back because of the amazing energy and how supportive everyone was,” she said. “Having everyone on the court next to me cheering me on was super special because it is something that I have never gotten to experience before while playing tennis.” To finish up the “spring break season,” the Hens played the No. 18-ranked Williams College on Friday, March 25, and earned a forceful 7-2 win.
After these two weeks of competition, the Sagehens improved to a 12-1 overall season record and advanced to the No. 2 spot in Division III. With these successes, Maria Lyven ‘22 said, “It was super exciting to see us go undefeated and become No. 2 in the country! I think our spring break performance proved that we deserve to be one of the best teams in the nation.”
Heading into the SCIAC (Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) season for the next few weeks, the Hens will continue training tough and playing smart. But more importantly, the “spring break season” was an invaluable time for the team to get closer and more confident together. As said by Georgia Ryan ‘23, “Spring break season was just another reminder of how lucky we are to have such an amazing group of girls competing for Pomona-Pitzer. Knowing how talented our team is made seven matches in two weeks both enjoyable and stress-free, which is quite unique when playing five top ten teams in a row.”
As of March 25, four Sagehens are represented in the West region’s singles and doubles rankings. Nina Ye ‘24 and Maria have not only claimed the top two singles spots in the region, but have also reached No. 1 in the doubles rankings. Angie Zhou ‘25 and Marissa hold the No. 4 and No. 13 regional singles rankings, respectively, as well as the No. 3 doubles ranking as a pair.
The PPWT Team is so excited to keep up the great Hen-nis and to enjoy being together for the rest of the Spring 2022 season. On Saturday, April 2, the Sagehens will face the No. 20-ranked University of Redlands at home, and a Division I team from UCI (University of California, Irvine) in the city of Irvine. Chirp chirp, Hens!
