New England's first taste of biting winter weather at the NEWITT Championship last weekend did not diminish the enthusiasm and sense of warm camaraderie among the ladies of the Brandeis women's tennis team.A demanding weekend, packed with relentless competition from 22 schools, resulted in a seventh place finish for the Judges.

"Everybody had something to be proud of," Coach Rocky Jarvis said.

In No. 1 singles, Jenn Krueger '07 had more to deal with than simply playing tennis. Administrative decisions and scheduling problems plagued her tournament, providing what would have an easy excuse for a less determined player. Krueger, however, pushed these issues to the back of her mind and advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to Diana Dreyfus of Trinity College 7-5, 6-3. Although Krueger beat Dreyfus a week prior to the tournament, Coach Jarvis attests that Krueger played, "the best game I have ever seen her play."

Krueger and doubles teammate Ana Katz '08 worked in tandem to beat the No. 2 doubles team from Bowdoin 8-4. They lost to Amherst 8-5 in the quarterfinals after pulling ahead of their competition at one point in a seat-gripping game.

"She played smart and tough against the lefty," Jarvis said. "The best she's played all year."

Captain Abby Lerner '05 had a tremendous weekend in singles and doubles play. She easily defeated Nancy Tsang of Regis College and Britt Olwine of Trinity College to advance to the semifinals of the No. 2 doubles flight. She took Jennifer Lejb of Tufts to three sets before falling to the Jumbo 6-3, 5-7, 6-1. Lerner finished in the top four for the weekend.

In doubles competition, Lerner and newcomer Colleen Donnelly '08 versed "one of the two best doubles teams in the country," Jarvis said. Middlebury defeated the Judges 8-2 after a well-played game at No. 1 doubles.

Donnelly has transitioned into collegiate play with a graceful swing of her racket, and she showed her skill at the championship by overcoming her Connecticut College foe who she previously tied in regular season competition. Easily defeating Britt Fallon 6-3, 6-2, she moved on to defeat the No. 3 player from Smith 6-1, 6-1 before losing to the eventual second place finalist from Amherst.

Brandeis has one of the toughest divisions in the country with 10-12 teams full of superb players. In addition to exceptional skill in every flight, the Brandeis women have a dedication and spirit that is inherent in each athlete which will set them apart from the majority of other teams in the spring season.

"This was a good finish for the season," Jarvis said. "I was pleased with the level of effort from every player. The young players improved a lot.