The women’s tennis team is now 4–4 for the season. Following recent wins  against California Institute of Technology, Redlands Community College, Bates College and Colby College; and losses against Bryant University, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and MIddlebury College, the ladies have yet to face any University Athletic Association opponents. Their first UAA matchup will be against New York University on April 6, but for now, their next opponent is Wheaton College on Saturday.


Judges 0, Middlebury 9

This past Saturday, March 16,  the Judges were defeated by Top 10 opponent Middlebury College, according to the Brandeis Athletics site. The team lost without being able to win a single match as the No.20-ranked Judges fell to the Panthers, who are  No. 6. The Panthers remain undefeated this season with a 2–0 record. In singles, the Judges were close in some matches but failed to overtake their opponent. Diana Dehterevich ’20 fell to Panther opponent Katherine Hughes 6–3 and 6–4. Olivia Leavitt ’19 lost to the Panther’s Heather Boehm 0–6 and 3–6. Keren Khromchenko ’19 faced opponent Christina Puccinelli and was defeated 2–6 and 0–6. Lauren Bertsch ’21 lost to Panther Skylar Schossberger 1–6 and 3–6, and Sophia He ’19 lost to Maddi Stow 1–6 and 3–6. Ana Hatfield ’22 was the closest the team got to any victories, with final scores of 6–7 and 2–6.

In doubles, the team did not fare much better. Leavitt and Bertsch fell to Hughes and Schossberger 2–8, Dhterevich and Khromchenko fell to Boehm and Ann Martin Skelly 3–8, and He and Hatfield lost to Stow and Nora Dahl 1–8. 


Colby 0, Judges 5

The Judges conquered the Mules with an impressive 5–0 victory this past Sunday. Top team Leavitt and Bertsch opened up for the Judges, resulting in an incredible 8–1 victory, and the No. two team of Khromchenko and Dehtervich won their match with an impressive 8–5 win. He and Hatfield, the No. three doubles duo, also won their match, 8–5.

The overall match between Colby and Brandeis was decided in singles play. Khromchenko won 6–2 and 6–3, ending up number three in singles and number two in singles, while Leavitt was victorious 6–1 and 6–1.

As a senior, Khromchenko has watched the team improve immensely over the past four years. She said in an interview with the Justice, “With those values, we are able to create small goals. For example we have the motto FTG.” She elaborated that FTG stands for “Fearless,” “Together” and “Growth.” She said, “We can be fearless by making aggressive plays during practices or during matches.” In addition, she said that the team breaks down the word “together” into “to get there.” Growth encompasses learning from mistakes and having a positive point of view on and off the court.

Khromchenko said that the team is still in the beginning of the season but their hard work have helped on the court in matches. She said, “We have been having workshops with a mental coach also, and she has been helping us realize how we can achieve these goals.” This helps the team have constant reminders to reach their maximum potential so they can continue to improve.