M. tennis tries to maintain momentum in weekend play

Coming off two great weekend wins over St. Joseph's and Boston College, the men's tennis team is geared up for a double header this Saturday against George Washington and Stony Brook.

"Like last weekend, these teams won't be our strongest competition," sophomore Darius Craton said. "We're just trying to get a lot of matches in and build up our confidence during this preseason to get ready for when it really counts."

So is this weekend already a done deal for the Tigers?

"Well, it's always tough playing back to back matches," Craton said. "Some guys that don't usually play are going to have to step up."

Coming off a number of injuries that have plagued the Tigers this season, one would suspect that no victory is assured. Craton, however, believes the team has few reasons to worry.

"Our team is really deep, so even the guys at the bottom of our lineup are pretty strong. I'm confident in our abilities."

The George Washington team will come to Princeton with confidence gained from a five-game recent winning streak. Stony Brook, although not in action last weekend, will come to Princeton after a two-game sweep on Valentine's Day weekend. In spite of the opposition's success, the Tigers know this weekend's matches are theirs to win and look forward to some solid strokes to victory.

"This weekend will be a little more difficult than last," Craton said. "We still need to come out, be professional about it, and get the job done." Women's tennis also looks forward to some good results this weekend to avenge last weekend's losses. The women are home Friday to face George Washington and then head on the road to face Maryland on the Terrapin's home courts.

The Tigers have faced some tough competition early in the season, playing Big 10 teams and others who play internationally very often. Even though all of their matches have not gone exactly in Princeton's favor, they have been a great source of experience and team bonding.

"These matches have been really important for us to get some experience playing together," sophomore Jessica Siebel said. "They have also helped us get more excited to work hard and win when it really counts against the other Ivy teams and beyond."

This weekend will give the Tigers a chance to improve their record. Friday's match against the Colonials will be held in a scrimmage-like atmosphere in Jadwin. While the bigger players rest up for Sunday's duel against Maryland, the rest of the team will have the opportunity to showcase their play.

These matches will be the last of the women's preseason before they head to California for their Spring Break trip on the West Coast.

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"After this weekend, we're not going to be competing for another two weeks, so we really want to go out and win these," Seibel said. "It's always hectic to go on the road, but at the same time, it's nice to get off campus with your team. We're looking forward to a big victory."

The Tigers look to rebound from a tough weekend in which every third set and tie-break failed to fall their way. As a team, they are looking to focus on finishing their matches and preserving their leads.

"You know it's a team sport, a team effort," Siebel said. "When you look down the courts and see even just one player winning, you get pumped, you get excited, and you make that happen for yourself and for everyone else."