Jolyn Taylor

Past Entries

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Entry 2

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Entry 4

March 15, 2004

Our much anticipated spring break began when nine of my fellow teammates and I piled, pushed, and pulled our bright-red traveling bags into a van that never seemed so small at 8:30 am in the drizzly morning as it did two Saturdays ago. Coach Smith and assistant coach Mavity navigated city traffic as the rest of us gradually woke up and realized we were on our way. Sunny Southern Cal, here we come!

Sunny only begins to describe the weather; hot, scorching, and beautiful also aptly apply. With sunny skies we knew we had left behind the cares of midterms and snow flurries.

What we didn't know was that California would welcome us with its own special challenges such as van mishaps (we went through three vans before having Mary Ellen step up and drive one mini-van while Coach Smith drove the other), misleading directions (oh the love of the U-turn), and freeway traffic (how do commuters do it everyday?!?). Everyone handled the adversities easily and the majority of the trip was all laughs, smiles, and, of course, seriously good tennis!

Coach Smith was able to accommodate our super-sized traveling squad (Amanda Dechert was a very much missed part of the team, but she was with us in spirit) by mixing up the lineups and having everyone contribute to our dominatingly undefeated match record.

We played Claremont, UCSD, Pomona, and Cal Poly. Through some exceptional and die-hard tennis we came out on top each time. I am impressed all over again each time I watch my teammates fight hard and play amazing tennis!

Some highlights are:

Coming back from being down 2-1 after doubles against UCSD, we played phenomenal singles and won all six. The NCAA Division II team was quite impressed to say the least.

Freshman Richelle coming through in a third-set tie-breaker alongside junior Carina also in a third set against Pomona. Amidst jeering shouts from Pomona fans, both ladies kept their cools and delivered under extreme pressure. The freshman native to California showed her home state that she's all grown up and quite a force to reckon with on the court.

Revenge was sweet against Cal-Poly. Having been our only loss last season, to win 9-0 was especially sweet, though the heat and pollen were suffocating.

Another important part of our break was our many supporters, whether there in body or spirit, contributed to the enjoyment of the trip. I'd like to thank the Chans, Moscatos, Lais, and Taylors for their generosity and cheers.

We also had a surprise visit from one of the men's team players, Lee Friedman, who joined us for our favorite post-game tradition: 21 Choices. I can still taste the fantastic frozen yogurt, all the sweeter after our wins in the scorching weather outside.

What a fantastic trip and I would not have chosen a better way to spend my break than with my teammates who are not only incredible tennis players, but incredible people too!

Jolyn Taylor is a sophomore from Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. She would love to answer e-mail questions from Emory recruits and fans.