Ewing, NJ... Athletes in any sport look to build on their previous experiences and for a pair of women's tennis players at The College of New Jersey, they have plenty to draw from as they prepare for the 2010 NCAA Division III Singles and Doubles Championships.
Senior Jackie Shtemberg (Franklin Lakes, NJ/Ramapo) and sophomore Felice Trinh (Linden, NJ/Linden) begin what is hopefully a long tournament run on Friday at the Battleground Tennis Complex in Fredericksburg, VA. The event is being hosted by the University of Mary Washington.
Shtemberg and Trinh will be among the 16 teams vying for a doubles title, while Shtemberg is also in the field of 32 players chasing a singles crown.
Competing in a national tournament is nothing new for Shtemberg as she has appeared in a combined six NCAA and Intercollegiate Tennis Association tournaments. A year ago, advanced to the semi-finals at the NCAA Tournament and back in 2007 became the first Lion to win an ITA National Singles Championship.
“Winning this tournament has been my goal for the past four years and especially now that this is my last chance I definitely feel even more motivated,” Shtemberg stated. “I have always looked forward to this tournament and to me winning it would be the biggest accomplishment of my career so I've been 100 percent focused on my tennis since the beginning of the semester instead of just the post season. Especially after last year's result, I know that I can do it and I hope that this might be my year.”
Shtemberg enters the tournament with a 24-5 record in singles play and is one win shy of 90 for her career, a number that ranks her third in program history.
Trinh is making her NCAA debut this weekend, but she gained valuable experience last fall in Alabama as she and Shtemberg came within in one win of claiming an ITA doubles championship.
“I think how we did in the ITA tournament will certainly prepare me for the NCAA Championships,” Trinh said. “I have a better idea of what the competition may be like. I feel very confident being paired with Jackie. I think both of our skills and strengths complement each other leading to the success we've gained so far.”
The duo formed TCNJ's top doubles pairing all season and have put together a solid 17-7 record to date, including a 7-2 effort in tournaments.
One adjustment Shtemberg must make this time around is playing both singles and doubles for the first time as she could play as many as three matches in a day.
“This tournament is challenging enough as it is with just singles, I've never competed in such a big tournament in both singles and double at this level of competition,” the senior noted. “The afternoon doubles matches should give me a second wind of energy though because I love playing with Felice and we always have a great time and it's a different style of play.”
