Women's Tennis

2007 Season Recap

The Clark University women’s tennis team got off to a slow start this season. Not only did the Cougars have to contend with a challenging schedule, but they also had to incorporate 11 new faces into the line-up. After dropping the first five games of the season, the team finally picked up a win over Mitchell College (9-0). The Cougars went through a string of defeats before winning three of their last four matches to finish with a 4-11 (0-6 NEWMAC) mark.

Captain Kristen Domurad ‘08 led Clark with seven victories – five at number three singles. She claimed a win at number two singles versus Bay Path College (6-3, 6-0) and posted a pair of super tie-breaker set wins at number two and three, respectively, against Becker College (4-6, 6-3, 10-3) and Worcester State College (6-3, 7-6, 7-4) en route to a Cougar of the Week nod. Newcomer Freddie Palmer ’11 also had a solid season, picking up six wins – two at the top slot – in her collegiate debut. In doubles play, Domurad and teammate Phoebe Livingston ‘10 combined to post a team-high four victories.

Three Cougars received All-NEWMAC academic honors, including Ashley Faden ’08, Rebecca Good ’09 and Livingston.

2007 Season Preview

The Clark University women’s tennis team is ready to kick off its fall season and will waste no time getting into the thick of conference action facing Wheaton College in just the second match of the year. Stacked with a large roster mixed with returning talent and promising newcomers, the team stands poised for success. The club faces a tough conference schedule, including a trip to Wellesley College, last year’s New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) champions and the host of this season’s conference tournament. The Cougars will also add a new opponent to their schedule this fall, traveling to Mitchell College for the first time.

The Clark squad this season will play without Emily Slack ‘07 or Alicia Weiner ‘07, the number one and number three singles players last season who have since graduated. Head Coach Jim Hayes has a large stock of players to work with, however, thanks to effective recruiting. The club takes on eight new players, six first-years and two transfer students, to round out the roster this fall. The newcomers show a great deal of potential, lead by first year players Rebecca Friedberg and Willa Dunn. The team will also look to Freddie Palmer and Emily Schweitzer to make their mark on the team.

With all the newcomers, the Cougars still boast a solid core of returning players headed by senior captain Kristen Domurad. The club also returns Mika Sneddon and Phoebe Livingston, two key starters from last season. With such a depth of talent this season, Coach Hayes envisions a lot of success for the team. “With so many returning players and new players at a good level, there is more competition internally,” he explains. “The goal is to have that competition reflected against other teams.”

The challenge, says Hayes, is to get every player on the same page of the team’s expectations and develop good work habits. Coach Hayes will work with Assistant Coach Josh Weiner, who played tennis for two years as an undergraduate and returns for a second season coaching the Cougars. The goal is to encourage participation and get each player ready for every match. “Both Josh and I, as well as our returning players, are really excited about our numbers and the quality of players joining the team this year,” says Hayes. “We look to have a much improved team this season.”

By: Sports Information Intern, Bill Cobb

About the Program

The women’s tennis team plays in the fall and spring seasons, participating in a vigorous schedule against some of the best programs in New England. The primary season is in the fall and includes matches against several leading Division III teams and New England players. The Cougars face each NEWMAC opponent in a dual match and then are seeded for the conference tournament at the end of the season. In the spring, players participate in a nontraditional season with a limited schedule against local opponents.

Women’s tennis at Clark is developing into a program, where its players are determined to achieve their fullest potential. The program allows each player to develop her tennis game by practicing the fundamentals that will enable her to compete well against other Division III players. The women’s tennis team is committed to working hard and playing hard.

The team practices and competes in an award-winning tennis facility. The Corash Tennis Courts are six lighted elasta-turf courts; the lighting allows for flexibility with scheduling practice times and matches to avoid academic conflicts. The team uses the Dolan Field House as an indoor facility and trains on two multipurpose practice courts.