For only the third time in the program’s history, the women’s tennis team, ranked No. 25 in the nation at the time, advanced to the second round of the NCAA regionals after a 4-0 victory over No. 37-ranked Virginia Commonwealth on May 14 in Charlottesville, Va. Unfortunately, that is where their regionals journey would end, as they fell 4-2 to No. 11-ranked Virginia the next day. Coach Hans Olsen was not deterred from praising his team after getting so close to setting a new women’s tennis precedent in school history.
“We were playing our best tennis at the end of the year,” Olsen said. “They were both teams we had played before. In both match-ups, we improved upon how we performed during the regular season. VCU really came out fired up to play. It was a good first round win against a team that had been top 25 in the country this season.
“In the second round, we played Virginia and it was a real battle, back and forth. They won the doubles and we came out and got some straight set wins in singles, but they ended up winning the match. I thought our team fought really hard, and it came down to one or two courts.”
Despite failing to venture further in the bracket than the team has ever gone before, the Pack still has high hopes for two of its players: doubles duo Sanaa Bhambri and Sandhya Nagaraj. Together, they are ranked No. 17 in the nation. Bhambri is ranked No. 28 in the nation and is the first female tennis player to qualify for all three NCAA tournaments for the Wolfpack since 2007, and only the second time in school history.
Olsen believes his Indian pair is prepared to wage war on their competition in Palo Alto, California, where the NCAA singles and doubles tournament is being held.
“All year long they’ve had good wins,” Olsen said. “I think each round is going to feel like they have a 50/50 chance to win. Our girls are going to be ready to play some tough matches, and I think the first is going to be the most important: to get a win under their belts. If they do, I think they really will be feeling confident.”
This trip marks the end of the first and final season that Bhambri has played for the Pack after using her final year of eligibility while attending graduate school. Bhambri has used her time wisely in preparation and has proven herself to be a strong contender on the court. Olsen noticed Bhambri’s goal since the very beginning of the season.
“She’s going to cherish the opportunity,” Olsen said. “It’s been her goal all year long to get here. I think she’s going to be very excited to play. She knows the NCAA tournament is a great opportunity; it’s an elite group.”
Last night, in Palo Alto, Bhambri was set to face California’s No. 55-ranked Tayler Davis, but a rain delay caused the start time to be moved to 10:35 with the match ending after the publish deadline.
Bhambri and Nagaraj are scheduled to go up against Washington’s No. 13 duo of Venise Chan and Denise Dy on Thursday.
