April 24, 2009
By Taylor Soper Midway through this season, women's tennis head coach Jill Hultquist decided to revamp her doubles lineup. She paired veteran junior Joyce Ardies with athletic freshman Denise Dy and hoped for better results. Her decision has paid off. Ardies and Dy have dominated their competition en route to a 9-1 record and are ranked 36th in the most recent ITA doubles rankings. "They are so good because of their doubles instincts," Hultquist said. "They are a really good, solid team, and hopefully, we can get them into the NCAAs." Ardies and Dy both have natural doubles instincts that allow them to compete well together. Both were taught doubles play when they were young, and both know what to do on the court. Ardies had high praise for her freshman partner. "Denise is an awesome partner," said the junior from Sao Paulo, Brazil. "I don't have to worry about anything when I'm playing with her. She brings on the energy every single time." Ardies and Dy aren't the only ones finding success. Sophomore Venise Chan and junior Aleksandra Malovic are now No. 78 in the doubles rankings. Chan, a native of Hong Kong, also reached a career-high ranking of No. 20 in the singles rankings and is enjoying one of the best seasons by any Husky in history. She is the first top-20 player for the UW since Dea Sumantri was ranked No. 5 during the 2005 season. |
