Women's tennis train continues to roll

Domination is the only word that comes to mind when asked to describe the Lady Corsair's tennis play as of late. Feeding off the momentum of their ten-game winning streak, the Corsairs put on a clinic at home and bulldozed their non-conference opponent, The Antelope Valley Marauders. Everyone seemed to be on their game last week, as the women swept the Marauders in perfect fashion, with an ending result of 9-0.

SMC's dominance didn't stop at Antelope Valley, as the Lady Corsairs decisively finished off the Santa Barbara Vaqueros 6-3 yesterday, ending the regular season with an unbelievable 10-0 conference record.

A key to success for the Lady Corsairs has been the notable play of their international athletes. The archetype of these players can be seen in sophomore Tiana Lauritzen, a native of Denmark.

Lauritzen has been playing beautiful tennis lately, and came out aggressively against her opponent on the main court to start off the day for the Corsairs. Her talent was far superior to that of her opponent's and she held nothing back as she won in straight-sets against the Marauders, 6-0, 6-0.

When asked about her virtually perfect match, the sophomore phenomenon credited her sharpened fundamentals. "My serve was really working for me well today, as well as my backhand," she said.

Lauritzen would go on to win her second match of the day when paired with freshman Iris Berger in a doubles round.

Although Lauritzen's brilliant play has undoubtedly fueled the women's tennis team's success, she is only a drop in the bucket as far as team play goes, and she knows it. "I think we've really come a long way as a team this year, and I definitely think we're ready for playoffs," said Lauritzen, humbly crediting her teammates for the squad's undeniable improvement this year.

Assistant Coach Adam Davis attributed the Corsair's uncanny performance to the team's relentless effort throughout their matches. "You know, everyone has been completing their games," he said. "All the girls are confident in themselves at this point of the season, and that's why they're able to go out there and execute the way they have been."

Tuesday against Santa Barbara College, it was more of the same for Santa Monica. The Lady Corsairs got off to their usual stellar start as Eliseeva, Collet, and Lauritzen each registered decisive victories against their Vaquero counterparts. While Santa Barbara managed to take two of the next three singles matches, SMC was not going to allow minor hiccups to rattle them.

The Corsairs won two of three doubles matches and put a definitive stamp on the contest, winning overall 6-3.

Women's tennis has been nothing short of spectacular this season, and their aspirations continue to rise with every victory. Finishing with a 10-0 Western Conference record, the Lady Corsairs are poised make a big splash in the playoffs next week.