The women's tennis team completed its fall season this weekend at the New England Women's Intercollegiate Tennis Tournament (NEWITTs). The tournament held Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Amherst, Mass. At this tournament, 26 of the region's top teams gathered to compete in singles and doubles play. Brandeis had considerable success, finishing in a three-way tie with Trinity and Bowdoin for fourth place.Brandeis sent six players to the tournament: Jane Chae '05 (number one singles), Abby Lerner '05 (number two singles), Vera Chen '03 (number three singles), Ora Wexler '04 (number four singles), Shani Reich '06 (number five singles), and Katie Albert '04 (number six singles).

All six performed very well. Each player made it at least to the quarter-finals in her respective flight, and Chae made it to the semi-finals, where she lost to the number one player from Amherst. In that match, Chae and her opponent split sets and went to a tie-breaker, in which Chae was defeated11-9. Her opponent went on to win the tournament.

This year's New Englands included a ceremonial award in memory of Lindsay Morehouse, a former Williams College tennis player who perished on Sept. 11. This award was presented to that senior who most demonstrated the qualities of sportsmanship on the court. This year's recipient was from Tufts University.

"It was very touching," Reich said. "I didn't know the girl and I felt like a newcomer to it, but I could tell that it was very emotional for them and for the girl who won it. It was great."

The NEWITTs followed a disappointing 5-4 loss to Babson College last week. The match against Babson began on Wednesday evening and was completed on Thursday afternoon, postponed due to darkness. At the close of Wednesday, Brandeis and Babson were tied 4-4, and Reich and her opponent were tied in the third set of her unfinished fifth seed match. Unfortunately, her opponent went on to win on Thursday, 2-6, 6-0, 7-5.

"Let's not talk about that," Reich said jokingly, when asked about the match.

"Whatever," she added. "We beat them (in the New Englands). They ended up coming in seventh or eighth, and we were fourth."

As for the team's prospects for the spring, which will culminate in Nationals, all evidence points toward success.

"I think we have high hopes for the spring season," Reich said.