The Massachusetts tennis team welcomes three new recruits, all of whom are expected to make immediate impacts on the program.
UMass head coach Judy Dixon believes this year’s incoming class is the best ever under her reign.
“We’re very excited to see these girls come in, because they have a lot of talent already and can help us get to where we want to go,” Dixon said.
According to The Tennis Recruiting Network, the Minutewomen are ranked 26th in the country for their 2010-11 recruiting class, a reward for Dixon for her commitment to find the right players for her squad year in and year out.
“Recruiting isn’t easy, especially when you’re dealing with recruiting in the Northeast,” Dixon said. “Everyone has different reasons for going where they choose to play. We were able to find talented players who wanted to come here for the education. It’s nice to find players who put their education first, but also want to compete against the best we have to offer.”
Dixon has high aspirations for her squad next season, predicting to go deep into the Atlantic 10 tournament.
“It’s rare to find incoming recruits who can contribute right away, but with these new players we know we have a team who can compete now,” Dixon said.
Yuliana Motyl and Clara Matias are both international recruits who have experience in national and international competition, which provides a sense of veteran mentality, a rare commodity found in younger players.
Motyl, a Toronto native coming from just over the northern border, has been ranked as high as No. 1000 in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, as well as near the top 500 in the International Tennis Federation. Like her fellow international teammate, Motyl has played against competitors spanning all over the world and is expected to provide support in both singles and doubles. Dixon expects Motyl to be either number one or two in the lineup.
“Motyl has played in tough competition early on in her life,” Dixon said. “We’re very fortunate to have landed a prospect with her type of talent.”
Matias comes from Barcelona, where she has ranked as high as the top 50 in the Spanish National Ranking. She also attended the 2006 advance training camp, hosted at Harvard. Matias is expected to be near the top of the list for singles, but also compete in doubles.
Jessica Podlofsky, coming out of Port Washington, N.Y., adds even more depth to the team and is ranked near the top 150 on the 2010 recruiting rankings. As a top-10 player in the state of New York, Podlofsky is expected to step in right away and face opponents that will give her all she can handle. She is not fazed by adversity, compiling a record of 14-4, including a 2-1 record against four-star ranked players.
“From everything I’ve seen, [Podlofsky] has a lot of talent, and will greatly provide depth and has room to grow,” Dixon said.
Dixon believes the key is to find a way to make everyone happy on the court.
“We have a lot of veterans now, but we know these younger girls can come in and help us win, so the trick is to find a way to make everyone happy with positive results,” Dixon said.
With a veteran lineup already in place, along with a star-studded recruiting class coming in, the Minutewomen will look to advance farther than they ever have before.
Scott Cournoyer can be reached at [email protected].
