5/21/2003

Coming off a solid 2001-2002 season that saw the Hoyas battle for a spot in the BIG EAST Conference Championship until the very last day of the regular season, the Hoyas hoped to grow and improve their standing in the BIG EAST in 2002-2003. Returning six starters, the Hoyas hoped that their season would end in Miami, Fla. at the Conference Championship.

The fall season proved to be a solid foundation for the Hoyas as Georgetown competed in several individual tournaments, the ECAC Invitational Team Tournament and played dual matches to prepare for the spring dual match schedule.

In individual tournament play in September the Hoyas competed at Bucknell and also hosted the DC Metro Championships at Georgetown. Georgetown advanced players in the draws in every flight in both tournaments with the most notable success including Lara Madonia's winning the DC Metro “B” singles flight and Liora Gelblum's finalist showing in the DC Metro “A” singles flight. Also, Stephanie Sutton was a finalist in the DC Metro “B” singles, where she fell to Madonia.  Trina Snow and Liddy Bartell won the DC Metro “A” doubles flight defeating teammates Jordan Botjer and Monisha Ghia in the final. Sutton and Gelblum advanced to the DC Metro “B” doubles flight.

In October the Hoyas started a very successful month with a punishing 7-0 win over Towson. They followed that dual success by accepting an invitation to compete at the ECAC Invitational Team Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. Although rain hampered play for the Top 16 Eastern teams invited to compete, the Hoyas had a successful weekend. After a difficult first match against a talented Columbia team, a 4-0 loss, the Hoyas took on eventual NCAA qualifier Army in the backdraw. Madonia won her singles match, but the Hoyas fell 4-1. Following the Army loss, the Hoyas took the court in their final match of the tournament against BIG EAST rival Connecticut. Hoping to avenge a 4-3 spring 2002 loss, the Hoyas were keen for the opportunity and they took full advantage playing a solid match and downing UConn 5-2. Although UConn swept the three doubles matches, the Hoyas righted themselves in singles, with straight set wins by Gelblum and Madonia and three set wins by Bartell, Snow and Sutton.

Closing the month of October, the Hoyas took on local rival George Washington in a dual match and then sent Gelblum, Bartell and Snow to represent the squad at Harvard in the ITA Regional Singles and Doubles Championship. Against GW the Hoyas fought hard in doubles. Botjer and Ghia won a closely contested match at #2 doubles, but Sutton and Gelblum lost a tight match at #3 doubles to give GW the doubles point. In singles play, Gelblum and Madonia won in three sets, while Botjer fell in three sets. Georgetown fell 5-2.  At the ITA Regional, both Gelblum and Bartell played their best tennis of the fall season. Both however lost in extended first round matches: Bartell to Columbia's Condit 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 and Gelblum to Syracuse's Slukova 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 in a four hour marathon.

The Hoyas spring season began on February 1 with a conference showdown against BIG EAST rival Seton Hall, hosted by the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. The Hoyas eked out the doubles point when Botjer and Ghia won the #2 doubles match 9-7. Gelblum, Botjer, Ghia and Sutton contributed singles wins for a 5-2 victory over the Pirates. The Hoyas found the road to improved play much rougher the following day against national ranked cross-town rival Maryland. The #55 Terrapins showed their firepower as they shut down Georgetown 7-0 at the College Park Tennis Center.

The Hoyas returned to their winning ways against George Mason, shutting out the Patriots 7-0 on February 10 at the Army-Navy Country Club. After a weekend off, the Hoyas took on a challenging three-match stint against BIG EAST foes Pittsburgh, Syracuse and St. John's. Pitt was the first to face the Hoyas. Georgetown staved off a tough Pitt squad with strong doubles performances by the #2 and #3 teams, as well as straight-set singles wins by junior Botjer and sophomore Snow. Three-set singles wins were turned in by sophomore Gelblum, sophomore Bartell, and junior Sutton. The final score of the first BIG EAST showdown of the weekend was Georgetown 6, Pittsburgh 1. The following day's match at the Army-Navy Club saw the Hoyas play very competitive ball against Syracuse. Botjer and Monisha Ghia won the #2 doubles match, and Gelblum and Ghia lost tough three set battles. In spite of the competitive play, Syracuse downed Georgetown by a score of 7-0.

The Hoyas third straight BIG EAST match-up against St. John's was played on a limited number of courts and so singles was played first. In the singles competition, Snow, Botjer and Sutton turned in straight set victories. The Red Storm captured singles wins at the #1, #2 and #5 spots to knot the match score at 3-3. The doubles matches were suspended and the final BIG EAST Conference dual match of the weekend ended in a tie.

The Hoyas were not ecstatic with the outcome of the BIG EAST weekend, but they were not altogether displeased. Solid play over three consecutive days against three solid teams kept their hopes high. And their conference record of 2-1-1 was a good if not great start through the end of February.

Georgetown started March with a non-conference match-up against James Madison at the Bridgewater College indoor tennis barn. Playing a 4-1 format, the Hoyas got a come from behind victory from Bartell at #2 singles but lost the match 4-1.

The Hoyas regained their momentum with a 6-1 victory at Villanova on Saturday, March 22. Doubles victories by Botjer and Ghia at #1 and Bartell and Joy Watcharaumnuay were key elements of the Hoyas success on the day as Villanova fought extremely hard in the singles competition. Still, Georgetown took five of six singles matches. Straight set wins by Gelblum at #1, Bartell at #2, Botjer at #4 and tough three set wins by Ghia at #5 and Sutton at #6, as the wind picked up outdoors at Nova, positioned the Hoyas at 3-1-1 in BIG EAST play.

Georgetown's BIG EAST qualification fortunes took a turn for the worse the next weekend against West Virginia. A good quick start in the three doubles matches turned into lost momentum in the pro-sets and a quick ending in favor of West Virginia. In singles play only Gelblum was able to take a match as her fellow Hoyas all lost close matches.

Georgetown tried to recapture its lost momentum and regain hope for BIG EAST qualification with a long road trip to Connecticut. Hope proved appropriate as memories of the 5-2 win over UConn at the fall ECAC Invitational spurred the Hoyas on to excellent play. In this match, unlike the fall showdown, the Hoyas took the doubles point behind solid play from the #1 doubles team of Bartell and Snow and the #3 doubles team of Sutton and Gelblum. Georgetown went on the offensive in singles and Gelblum, Bartell and Ghia won their singles matches in straight sets to clinch the GU win. With one BIG EAST match remaining against Rutgers, and their conference record standing at 4-2-1, the Hoyas needed a win against the Scarlet Knights to have any hope of qualifying for the BIG EAST Conference Championship.

The final match of the season took place at Rutgers on April 13. The Hoyas found a highly motivated Rutgers squad facing them, most of them having qualified for the 2002 BIG EAST Conference Championship by virtue of a season ending 4-3 win over Georgetown at Georgetown last year. Rutgers could not be stopped as they swept the Hoyas by a 7-0 score to earn the #5 seed in the Conference Championship. Georgetown was left with a 4-3-1 BIG EAST Conference record and a 6-6-1 overall record for the 2002-2003 season. The Hoyas finished in seventh place overall in the Conference standings, one spot shy of qualifying for top six and the Conference Championship at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla.

The Hoyas will be fortunate in that every starter will be returning to compete as part of Georgetown's 2003-2004 team.