The 30th-ranked women’s tennis team began their campaign with an undefeated five-game West Coast road trip.
The Judges opened up the season against Cal Lutheran University. Carley Cooke ’15, Faith Broderick ’13 and Allyson Bernstein ’14 led the Judges in singles winning the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles matches in straight sets 6-1, 6-0; 6-1, 6-1; and 6-1, 6-0 respectively. Additionally, Cooke and Broderick teamed up to win the No. 1 doubles match 8-2 while Alexa Katz ’14 and Nina Levine ’12 earned an 8-1 victory in the No. 2 doubles match. Katz also earned a win at the No. 6 singles match in straight sets 6-2, 6-4.
In the second match of the road trip the Judges faced Occidental College, taking the match with a 9-0 sweep. Once again, Cooke, Broderick and Bernstein won the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles matches 6-2, 2-6, 10-8; 6-1, 6-0; and 6-2, 6-1. Furthermore, Broderick and Cooke won the No. 1 doubles match 8-2 and Katz and Levine won the No. 2 doubles match 8-2. Katz won the No. 4 singles match 7-5, 4-6, 10-6 while Simone Vandroff ’15 won No. 5 singles 6-1,6-1 and Dylan Schlesinger won No. 6 singles 6-4, 2-6, 10-7. Vandroff and Schlesinger also teamed up to win No. 3 doubles 8-1.
Brandeis next faced 18th-ranked Chapman University where they pulled out a close 5-4 win. Cooke, Bernstein and Katz won the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5 singles matches 6-3, 6-2; 6-4, 6-2; and 6-3, 6-3 respectively. Vandroff won the No. 6 singles match 3-6, 7-5 and 6-4. On the doubles side Cooke and Broderick won the No. 1 doubles match 8-2. While Brandeis eked out a 5-4 win, the game wasn’t as close as the final score indicated: The Judges were two tiebreakers away from winning the match 7-2.
In the fourth match, Brandeis faced Whittier College where the team continued their hot start with a 7-2 win. For the fourth straight time, Cooke, Broderick and Bernstein won the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 singles matches 6-1, 6-1; 6-4, 6-2; and 6-1, 6-0. Katz won the No. 5 singles match 6-3, 6-0 while Vandroff won the No. 6 singles match 6-3, 6-2. Cooke and Broderick won the No. 1 doubles match 8-4 and Vandroff and Schlesinger won the No. 3 doubles match 8-3.
Brandeis completed their five-game California road trip with a 5-4 win against 28th-ranked University of Redlands. Cooke and Broderick won the No. 1 and No. 2 singles matches 6-3, 4-2 and 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (5) respectively. Vandroff earned a victory at No. 6 singles 6-1, 6-3 while Cooke and Broderick won No. 1 doubles 8-5 and Levine and Katz won No. 2 doubles 8-5.
The Judges have started the season on fire with stellar performances from every member of the team. The Judges are now 6-0 on the season with the first win coming back in September. The Judges will look to stay undefeated when they return to action March 9 and 10 at the Middlebury Invitational.
