The women's tennis team did not drop a single match in this weekend's play. Senior Kelly Gebert summarized the team's success rather simply.
"Things went pretty well," Gebert laughed.
The squad went 2-0 on the weekend sweeping both Wittenberg University and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology 9-0.
The 11th-ranked Tigers now improve to a 9-2 overall record and a perfect 2-0 in NCAC play. Both the Tigers of Wittenberg (4-7, 0-1) and the Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers (10-5) have respectable programs, but neither had answers for the excellent singles and doubles play from top to bottom of the DePauw lineup.
Over the course of the weekend the doubles tandems for DePauw lost only three total games, with no more than one in a single doubles match.
The individual side was just as impressive with no set ending closer than 6-3. Freshman Taylor Mahr was the only Tiger athlete to end the weekend with no games lost.
Mahr is just one of a few freshmen who have helped stabilize a young roster led by seniors Gebert and Katie Regan.
DePauw has now won four straight with only two losses coming from No. four University of Chicago in the opening weekend and eighth-ranked Washington & Lee University in the ITA Div. III indoor championships last weekend.
DePauw was able to avenge the early loss to Chicago with a 5-4 at the indoor championships.
Gebert is pleased with the team's progress and the impressive depth it has displayed throughout the season.
"I think (these wins) show how deep our team is," Gebert said. "We've had a couple of girls that have had injuries, and so a lot of girls have stepped up. We've had changes in our lineup too in doubles teams and those girls have really showed how dynamic they are that they both can play where ever the team needs them."
Gebert and freshman Maggie MacPhail have been the only consistent players for the team in doubles, with a revolving door combination of freshmen Kaitlin Pickrel and Claire Marshall, sophomores Meg Crowley and Caroline Emhardt and junior Elizabeth Young.
Pickrel stresses that while the uncertainty of playing time can be taxing, it is a good sign towards the team's deep talent pool.
"It's kind of a good problem," Pickrel said. "Sometimes it is frustrating having to play challenge matches during practices this late in the season, but it also means that our team is really deep in the lineup. Everyone is working really hard to get into the lineup."
The team now prepares to head to Hilton Head Island for matches and a week of practice over spring break. Although the team would like to enjoy the gorgeous environment, there will be little time for leisure as it faces stiff competition in Div. II Erskine College and third-ranked Emory University. Both the women and men's tennis teams depart for South Carolina this Friday.