Written by Nic Notarangelo
- ECGulls.com Contributor from Ken Davidoff's Sports Journalism Class
(Davidoff covered Major League Baseball for 25 years for Newsday and the New York Post)
BEVERLY, Mass. – Every championship team has its star players who can contribute under any circumstances. For the Endicott women's tennis team, this is no different.
Get to know the names, Lejla Guster (Wethersfield, Conn.) and Ripley Uyeda (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.).
These two sophomores are less than halfway through their collegiate playing careers, but have impacted the program in a number of ways.
This dynamic duo was a key contributor to the Gulls' success during the fall season, helping lead the Gulls to an 11-3 record and an undefeated 7-0 in conference play.
Guster and Uyeda went 8-4 as a top pairing during the fall and went 4-0 against conference opponents, including an 8-6 victory against Salve Regina's top doubles in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Semifinals and an 8-5 victory against Nichols' top doubles in the CCC Championship. The duo also earned an 8-5 win over the No. 1 doubles pairing from Bates College, who are currently ranked No. 13 in the Northeast region.
On top of this, the two were able to contribute on their own as well, both posting winning records throughout the fall season. Guster went 3-1 playing at a mix of first, second, and third singles, and Uyeda went 5-3 at first singles, including a 3-0 record when playing against CCC opponents.
From a team standpoint, these stars want to lead the Gulls to a national ranking and will have the opportunity to do so this May during the NCAA tournament.
Behind their play, and that of their teammates too, the program reached a milestone in March by earning its first-ever regional ranking.
Head Coach Anthony D'Angelo stated the following about the achievement:
"Earning a regional ranking indicates a big step forward for our program. Competing for conference titles is great, but we've had conversations with our student-athletes about not being complacent," said D'Angelo. "We've aimed to make a statement on a larger scale, and obtaining a regional ranking offers validation. This wouldn't be possible without the dedication and support from our student-athletes, alumni, parents, and athletic department."
As a pairing, Guster and Uyeda's plan is to become a regionally ranked doubles team and aim to be a top threat in all of New England.
Both Guster and Uyeda, who have been playing tennis since they were eight years old, have goals that go far beyond just winning a CCC championship, which they already have two of under their belts. Needless to say, with the way they have been playing, the sky is the limit for these two who still have another two years of eligibility once the spring season concludes.
"I would say we both are really committed to our success for ourselves, but also for the rest of the team," said Uyeda. "We'll both go out and hit either singles or we'll find another pairing to play doubles just because we want to continue to succeed for ourselves and for the team, and we just have really good chemistry."
Their chemistry also comes from the fact that the two are roommates and very close friends, which is probably why they click so well together, even when playing in high-pressure situations, such as the CCC championship.
"We take it one point at a time," said Guster. "It's really easy to let the pressure and anxiety get to you, so we always talk in between every point."
Guster emphasized that even when one of them misses or they give up a point, the key is to bounce back.
They make sure to high-five after every point, with the mindset that it is incredibly important to constantly reset.
From their freshman year to now, they have learned a lot that they can share with each other when they step on the court together.
"We understand our opponent doesn't matter, so we just play the ball instead of the opponent and we just try not to think about who we're playing and their level of competition," said Uyeda.
This mentality has proved to work well for the pair and has helped to change what they focus on, especially when swinging against noteworthy players.
Since first arriving at Endicott, they have figured out the ins and outs of each of their playstyles and have used this knowledge to their advantage.
"The more experience you have playing with someone, the more you know what their game is like and you know what to expect," said Guster.
The communication aspect is a crucial piece of the puzzle for this duo and it comes easy to them at this point in their careers.
With the NCAA Tournament quickly approaching, as well as another two years to follow, Guster and Uyeda have an extremely bright future and will look to ace the competition over the coming matches. They will look to continue to do what they do best and command a leadership role, with the hopes of leading the Gulls all the way through the NCAA tournament and capturing that national title.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)
