Home to the University of Maryland (UMD) women’s varsity tennis team, JTCC was packed with more than 200 spectators wearing black to “Black Out the Bubble” on February 22 when the Lady Terps took on Princeton University.
Fans cheered for outstanding National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I tennis and were delighted to witness high-quality play between two teams ranked in the top 70 nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
The match featured two JTCC alumnae, one for each team. Maryland senior Kallista Liu provided the Terps the early edge with a clutch 7-5 win at #1 doubles to secure the doubles point for Maryland. Princeton freshman Yichen “Cindy” Zhao then enjoyed her return “home” with the decisive clinching win for the Tigers with a three-set singles victory at the #3 position. After more than three hours of hard-fought play, Princeton edged the Terps by a 4-2 final score.
“Being back at JTCC was special for me and I enjoyed seeing everyone,” Zhao said. “Clinching the match for my team was super exciting, especially in front of my coaches and friends. I felt a lot of support and closing out a match like that gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.”
Four lucky fans won free raffles that included a UMD book bag, pair of UMD Men’s Basketball tickets, a JTCC drawstring bag, and a pair of Frances Tiafoe bobbleheads. Everyone in attendance also took home a black JTCC bag.
Ten JTCC Junior players assisted with the event both serving as ball kids on court and assisting at the check-in table.
“A huge thank you to John Niswander for helping organize and promote “Black Out the Bubble,” UMD Head Coach Katie Dougherty said. “This was our third year in a row organizing a match promotion specific to JTCC members, and it was a great success. Our team greatly appreciates the support we get from the JTCC community.”
