The defending national champion Stanford women’s tennis team will compete this week in what Assistant Coach Frankie Brennan called the “toughest tournament of the whole year,” the ITA National Indoors at the Ohio State University, in Columbus, Ohio.

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Three members of the defending national champion women’s tennis team were invited to the prestigious ITA National Indoors tournament this weekend. It will be the third tournament of the fall season for the Cardinal women. #gallery http://daily.stanford.edu/image/full/6471
Stanford Daily File Photo

Three members of the defending national champion women’s tennis team were invited to the prestigious ITA National Indoors tournament this weekend. It will be the third tournament of the fall season for the Cardinal women.

Three members of the Cardinal squad are competing in the event: sophomore Jessica Nguyen, junior Celia Durkin and senior Theresa Logar. Nguyen and Durkin will compete as a doubles team and will also compete individually in the main singles draw. Logar will only play in the singles event.

The ITA National Indoors is an exclusive tournament — the field is formed by invitation only. The draw consists of 32 individuals and 16 doubles teams from schools all over the country.

The invitations were based on the players’ previous play and rankings. As Logar explained, Nguyen was invited to the tournament because of her impressive performance in the recent ITA Regionals in Berkeley, where she reached the finals in both the singles and doubles, playing alongside Durkin. Durkin and Logar were both invited to the singles tournament as at-large bids.

In today’s first round of the singles tournament, Durkin will face off with Megan Moulton-Levy of William & Mary. Logar will play Georgia Tech’s Kirsten Flowers and Nguyen will compete against Sarah Fansler of USC.

In the doubles portion of the tournament, Durkin and Nguyen will kick off tournament play against the Duke squad of Elizabeth Plotkin and Daniela Bercek.

“This is an indoor tournament and I grew up playing indoors,” Logar said. “I feel like I’m playing on my home turf.”

Coach Brennan expressed similar feelings about Logar’s prospects.

“She has a very good chance,” he said. “She always does well indoors. It suits her aggressive style very well.”

Brennan thought that Nguyen might have a tougher time adjusting to the unique style required in indoor events.

“The surface will be a little different for her,” he said. “She’s not a very big player, but she’s still quick.”

Nguyen has been a very pleasant surprise for the Cardinal this year. The sophomore was not a starter on last year’s championship team, but this season she has become one of the most exciting players on the court.

Brennan is hopeful that Nguyen can carry her early-season momentum into this weekend’s event.

“They’re a tough team when they get on a roll,” said Brennan of Nguyen and Durkin. “They will be a real complement to each other.”

The National Indoors will be perhaps the toughest tournament for the Cardinal this season. Although the tournament defers in stature to May’s National Championships, it is an exclusive tournament, inviting only the best of the best.

“Everyone in this tournament earned their way here,” Brennan said. “There are no gimmes.”

Despite the competitive nature of the tournament, Brennan is still confident in the Cardinal’s chances.

“I think we’re up to the challenge,” he said.