It was a season of “what ifs” for the University of Massachusetts Boston Women’s Tennis team. Finishing with a record of 3-9 overall and 1-7 in conference play, the team was on the outside looking in when the playoffs began. The squad struggled throughout the year, losing six of their first seven matches. However, as the season progressed, the team showed significant improvement and promise for the future. Speaking with Coach Eric Berg, there was a sense that this past season could have gone either way.
“We definitely had some ups and downs this year, but we were in some close matches that could have gone either way. We were one point away from making the playoffs. It came down to match point in the Worcester meet. They ended up getting the six seed and we didn’t,” said Berg.
It could have been the difference in one final match point in the Worcester meet that would have sent the Beacons to the playoffs. A few of the teams’ matches came down to just a couple of points that could have turned the tides on their season.
The youth of this team could explain some of the missed opportunities — with only one senior the majority of the players on the roster are underclassmen. The two freshmen on the team, Martina Daelli and Kristy Garcia, carried a lot of pressure on their shoulders playing as the top two for the squad.
“It’s tough to come into a new situation in college tennis and play at the top. They got comfortable and sort of found their games towards the middle of the season. You could see they were more relaxed on the court and performing better under pressure,” stated Berg.
There is some great talent on this roster but age did play a role in competition. The team may not have done so well in the beginning of the season but they finished well. They went 2-2 in their final two matches, including decisive 8-1 victories against both Western Connecticut State and Curry College.
Experience may be the key to this young team’s success going down the road.
“In my experience as a coach, I’ve found that the experienced teams did much better than the youthful ones,” Berg said.
“I believe that as the current players keep maturing and we get good freshman coming in, then we’re going to be in the thick of things. No question: I believe this.”
Repetition and continuous play seems to be the likely formula to a successful season. Coach Berg is very optimistic that his team will turn things around and be competing in the playoffs next season. The young Beacons have a few months off until the spring season begins in March. As the players continue to play and mature, there is plenty of hope for a successful turnaround.