Washington University’s women’s tennis team (8-2) easily won its last two dual meets, proving to be good practice for the team leading up to its important regional tournament in Madison, Wis.

Yesterday, the team swept Maryville University 9-0 in a match rescheduled from Monday due to rain. A week ago, they defeated McKendree University 7-1.

“These matches were not that much competition for us,” sophomore Allison Dender said. “They were more of a warm-up for future matches this weekend.”

“Just to be in match competition is good practice since our team is so far away from the top teams in the country,” freshman Jaclyn Bild added.

Junior Erin Swaller came up big for the Bears in both matches, compiling a perfect 4-0 record. Playing first singles in both matches, she defeated McKendree’s Maria Occhipinti 6-3, 7-5 and Maryville’s Tracy Walsh 6-0, 6-0. Swaller then teamed with freshman Kalee Cassady to win at second doubles versus McKendree and first doubles versus Maryville.

The match against Maryville proved to be highly uneventful as the team dropped only five games in all of the singles and doubles competition. Cassady, freshman Elise Sambol, sophomore Elise Dorsett, junior captain Ania Tchergueiko and sophomore Stacey Goebel brought home the other singles wins. Freshman Karina Kocemba and Bild and freshman Keadrea Wilson and Tchergueiko teamed up to win the other doubles matches.

The match against McKendree proved to be slightly more exciting. Goebel pulled out a 6-2, 7-5 win at sixth singles while Dender was unable to finish her match due to inclement weather. Bild, Kocemba and freshman Kristin Fleming won the other singles matches. Wilson and Tchergueiko notched the team’s other win at third singles, while Dender and Fleming suffered its lone defeat, dropping a 9-7 heartbreaker at first doubles to Occhipinti and Jenny Mennerick.

“As a young team, it is important to get big wins under our belt since we couldn’t do that last year. We have the potential to compete with the best teams in the country,” Dender said.

The team will now turn its attention to the Madison Invitational to be held on Friday and Saturday. Over the weekend, they will potentially face the top teams in the Midwest, including the University of Chicago and DePauw University.

“We have a great chance of beating top teams,” Bild said. “We are much stronger and more unified this year.”

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