Coming off two difficult losses last week, the Massachusetts tennis team faces its most demanding challenge of the season when it takes on Old Dominion and Richmond this weekend without its top player.

Magdalena Ploch, who has had an impressive rookie campaign, rising as a freshman to play both No. 1 singles and doubles, has been ruled out to play the remainder of the season for medical reasons.

UMass coach Judy Dixon spoke on the significance of losing Ploch.

‘Two days before our Florida trip, we learned that we no longer had the services of Magdalena Ploch for the rest of the season because she is not medically cleared to play,’ Dixon said. ‘It’s been really hard on us missing our number-one singles player and number-one doubles player.’

The loss of Ploch comes at an inopportune time as the Minutewomen will begin a tough stretch of matches starting this weekend, when they face two strong opponents. Yet Dixon feels the rest of team will rise to the challenge.

‘Losing Ploch has made a difference in our results for sure, but what it hasn’t done is make a difference in our fight, sprit, intensity and work ethic,’ Dixon said.

On Friday, UMass will be in Norfolk, Va., to face Old Dominion.

After falling in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association last year, the Lady Monarchs have played well this season in a competitive conference. Old Dominion is among two other CAA teams included in the nation’s top 75 programs in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings.

‘Old Dominion is ranked 55th in the country and is undoubtedly the best team we will play all year,’ Dixon said.

On Saturday, fewer than 24 hours later, the Minutewomen will take on Atlantic 10 conference foe Richmond.

Dixon considers Richmond to be the favorite to win the conference this season and thus far, the Spiders have certainly played up to expectations, posting a 12-4 record.

On Wednesday, both Old Dominion and Richmond squared off against one another as the Lady Monarchs hosted the match at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center.

Old Dominion jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after claiming two of three matches to secure the doubles point. In singles play, the teams split three matches apiece, giving the Lady Monarchs the 4-3 victory.

With the win, Old Dominion improved their record to a stout 16-4 on the season.

The last time UMass and Richmond met was in the third-place match of the A-10 Championships last season.

The Spiders took two of three doubles matches and won the first three singles matches to claim the 4-0 victory and the third-place finish in the conference. With the loss, the Minutewomen settled for fourth place in the A-10 for the second season in a row after entering the tournament ranked No. 1 because of an undefeated conference regular season record.

As for Old Dominion, this will be the first time in nearly two years that these teams will match up. The last time they met, the Lady Monarchs handed the Minutewomen a 6-1 loss by taking two of three doubles and five of six singles matches.

Dixon realizes her team is in for a test this weekend but also knows that things won’t get much easier on the horizon.

‘We are definitely considered to be the underdogs in both of these matches,’ Dixon said. ‘After these two, we have Boston College coming Wednesday so these are the three toughest matches we’ll have all year, and they are going to be back-to-back-to-back, all without Ploch.’

However, confidence is something the Minutewomen won’t
be without the rest of the season.

‘This team hasn’t backed down from the challenge and they won’t back down now,’ Dixon said. ‘I’m proud of how they’ve rallied to do the best they can do and they know that this is really about them playing up to their potential, which is what I’m hoping for this weekend.’

Jay Asser can be reached at jasser@student.umass.edu.

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