LOOKING BACK

IMMACULATA, Pa.- On May 4th, 2019, the Immaculata women’s tennis program captured the programs first Atlantic East Championship and forever entered itself into Immaculata history as the first program to win a Conference Championship in the then first-year conference.

Following this Championship and bolstered by the return of a number of key components from a year ago including the return of Atlantic East Coach of the Year Scott McTigue and Assistant Coach Patty Fink, along with Atlantic East Player of the Year and Championship MVP Caleigh Masterman, Immaculata appears primed for another run at the Championship in 2020. This does not mean the success of going unbeaten through Atlantic East play and knocking off perennial power Gwynedd Mercy in the Championship match will be easy but the Macs are excited for the challenge.

Junior captains Morgan Jacob, Elizabeth Lipscomb, and Caleigh Masterman welcome the challenge of repeating explaining, “Last season was such a great run for us and the Championship was one of the best and most exciting days of our careers. We had come so close in prior years but had fallen to Gwynedd Mercy to capture the Championship not just for us but for Immaculata and for our coaches was such a great feeling that we could love to have again” stated the veteran captains.

THE ROAD MAP

In the Atlantic East preseason poll, the coaches around the Atlantic East picked the Macs to finish atop the standings once again in 2020 as the team earned 15 points and a trio of first-place votes top 2019 Atlantic East runner-up Gwynedd Mercy who received two first-place votes of their own.

“With the Championship last year and the preseason poll this does put something of a target on our backs but we see it as a challenge that we are excited to take on” explained Lipscomb. “Winning it last year was such a great feeling that it really motivates us to go and get it again this year to keep Immaculata tennis on top and turn us into a big name program” concluded Lipscomb.

The road back to the Championship will certainly not be easy for the Mighty Macs as it begins tomorrow afternoon with a tough road-test at Swarthmore beginning at 9 a.m. before embarking upon a Spring Break trip that will see the Mighty Macs do battle against some of the top teams in Division III in addition to a few talented Division II teams. Upon returning from its Spring Break trip to the Sunshine State, the Macs will square off against Rosemont, FDU-Florham, and Lancaster Bible before jumping into Atlantic East play for the remainder of the 2020 season.

The rigorous schedule is seen as a welcome challenge and a benefit in the eyes of Masterman as she explained that, “Playing the really tough teams and playing in Florida when it is so much warmer is definitely a benefit for us as it gets us ready both mentally and physically. On the physical side, we get conditioned from playing in the heat and playing these hard matches and we gain the mental edge through dealing with the stress of playing in these tough, tight matches against solid programs” stated the junior.

ROSTER CHECK

The Macs boast a strong returning core of players headlined by reigning Atlantic East Player of the Year Caleigh Masterman along with all-conference players Elizabeth Lipscomb, Morgan Jacob, and Jessica Dougherty. The Macs also benefit from the return of Kelly O’Brien along with the addition of Julie Glemser and the continuance of a family tradition with the addition of Annamarie Degnan.

“It is extremely important to have someone like Caleigh on the roster, “stated Jacob. “Going into a match you know that Caleigh will always do her best and put forth the effort necessary to help give the team the confidence it needs to battle and win any match against any opponent. The work ethic she (Caleigh) displays sets a great example for the entire teams helps the entire team to grow in a really positive direction” concluded Jacob.

This sentiment was echoed by Lipscomb as she stated, “ We are really happy to bring so many pieces of that Championship team back and to add Annamarie and Julie who bring their talent and a great outside perspective that helps us grow as a team. We had a good fall with some tough matches including playing in a challenging tournament (the Goucher Open) during our fall schedule, where we saw some great performances as a team and as individuals. This performance gives us great momentum heading into the Spring season as we look to repeat.”

THE FINAL WORD

The Mighty Macs have lofty goals entering the Spring 2020 season, however, given the success from a year ago, all of the goals from repeating as Atlantic East Champions to potentially repeating as Atlantic East Player of the Year for Masterman certainly seem attainable for the 2019-20 edition of the Immaculata women’s tennis team.

Immaculata will begin its quest to repeat as Atlantic East Champions on Saturday morning at Swarthmore with that match set to begin at 9 a.m. inside the Michael Mullan Tennis Center on the campus of Swarthmore University.