WALTHAM, Mass. – Lauren Bertsch '21 of Middletown, Rhode Island, and Ana Hatfield '22 of Rockford, Illinois, have been named to the 2021 All-University Athletic Association Women's Tennis team.
"It's no surprise to see Lauren Bertsch and Ana Hatfield receive UAA All-Association Honors," said head coach Pauri Pandian. "In addition to their success in our limited season this year, I think the award honors their performance in the UAA throughout their careers. Be it in regular season dual matches, at the National Indoor Championship, or at the UAA Championship, they've had individual wins in singles or doubles – or both – versus all of the UAA teams that they played, including Carnegie Mellon, Case Western Reserve, Emory, and NYU. The two of them helped the program rise to #10 in the country as starters in both singles and doubles, and have been stalwarts in the lineup throughout their careers. This is a well deserved honor for two great Brandeis Women's Tennis players!"
Bertsch, who was recognized at first singles for the Judges, was honored for the fourth year in a row. She was a doubles selection as a first-year and sophomore and as a singles player as a junior. This season, in an abbreviated schedule, Bertsch went 2-1 at first singles. Her lone loss came in a match against a Tufts University squad that went the NCAA tournament quarterfinals, while her wins came against opponents from Division I Merrimack and Division II Bentley University. For her career, Bertsch finished with a record of 26-24, playing all six positions in the singles lineup, including at first singles in each of the past two years. As a sophomore, she helped Brandeis reach the third round of the NCAA Division III championships in the program's first-ever tournament bid.
Hatfield was honored for the first time in her career for playing second singles. She also went 2-1 this season, including the Judges' closest match against Tufts, a 6-5, 5-7, 7-10, defeat. Hatfield picked up wins in straight sets against Merrimack and Bentley. She also went 2-1 at second doubles. Hatfield owns an 11-11 career record at singles, including a career-best 6-2 mark as a first-year.
Against a limited schedule due to COVID-19 this season, the Brandeis women's tennis team went 2-1 under second-year head coach Pandian. The Judges will return four of their six starters next year, including Hatfield.
For more information on Brandeis Women's Tennis, visit the team's web page at www.brandeisjudges.com/sports/wten. Follow Brandeis Athletics on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, @BrandeisJudges.