by Ted Ryan

Cassie Smith has wasted little time making her presence known with the Connecticut College women's tennis team. Smith, a Shelburne native, is only a freshman, but she's already handling duties as the No. 1 singles player for the Camels as well as sharing a role at No. 1 doubles. The former two-time Vermont state high school girls individual state champion for Champlain Valley Union High School quickly impressed first-year head coach Chris O'Brien, who assumed his duties after the holidays.

"So far, she's very competitive," O'Brien said of Smith, who helped CVU win the state team championships as a sophomore and senior. "It's difficult to play No. 1 as a freshman, but she has a good all-around game and a very solid base. "She has a variety of shots and she can play any style," O'Brien said. "She can practice with the men's team because she has the strength to hit it back." Smith said the situation isn't new to her, though it is clearly on a different competitive level. "I had a similar situation as a freshman in high school. I walked on and realized I was vying for No. 1," she said.

"Tennis is a little different in NESCAC," she said of the conference - New England Small College Athletic Conference - in which Connecticut College competes. "The depth of the competition is so good. "Playing in Vermont, the No. 1s and 2s are usually pretty good. At (NESCAC rival) Amherst, Nos. 7 through 14 are very good," said Smith, who is 3-3 in singles this spring.

A left-handed player, Smith said, "I'm pretty consistent on the baseline and I'm working on getting up to the net more now that I've had to play doubles. I'm working on finishing out. "I'm really into fitness, so I'll run anything down. If someone moves me around, I'll get it back and if I'm in position, I like to take control and finish shots," Smith said. Facing talented, veteran players at No. 1, Smith said, "We won a NESCAC match against Hamilton in Florida and I would love to have a couple more NESCAC wins. At No. 1 singles, it will be quite a fight for me and that would be awesome, a big upset."

The doubles experience is a new challenge. In Vermont high school tennis, usually the better players play singles matches while teammates compete at doubles. In NESCAC, the team's top six players generally handle both duties. "In doubles, she's doing okay," O'Brien said. "She doesn't play doubles naturally. She's working on being more aggressive and learning how to convert and use those weapons for singles, too."

"I'd like to improve my doubles. I've never really played doubles," conceded Smith, who nevertheless is 4-2 in doubles, including 4-1 with junior Becca Heupel as her partner.
After a 9-0 loss to NESCAC and national power Amherst on Sunday, the Camels are 4-2 this spring. Five of the eight players on the team are freshmen. "The next couple of years will be interesting to see where the team will go," Smith said. "The coach is still interim, so we may have a new coach again.

"Obviously I'd love to have an influence and be a captain," Smith said. "I think we have some individual tournaments and I'd love to make it on my own in one of those, make my name there as I have in Vermont. Smith selected Connecticut College in New London, Conn., not only for its tennis - she wanted to stay in New England and play at the Division III level - and she found the school's location on the ocean perfect. "It's close to New York City and Boston and it's not too far away from home," said Smith, who has begun studying Italian and has an interest in combining international studies, math, and economics.

A "big ski racer" in her CVU days, Smith is not competing in that sport for the Camels and "I didn't get in any spring skiing," she said wistfully. She has taught youth tennis for Burlington Tennis Club and has served as a summer counselor at the Windridge Tennis camp in Roxbury, Vt.

Though she's undecided upon a career, she said she would love to combine her tennis and business skills by working for the women's professional tour. "It would be awesome," she said.

Do you know of a Shelburne student-athlete who is competing in college or a Shelburne athlete excelling in any sport? Let me know at TedRyanVT@aol.com.