Nearly six months have passed, and the women’s tennis team is still without a permanent fixture at the head coaching position, but the players have accepted their interim coach en route to a national rank.Jefferson Hammond took over the women’s program in August, following the resignation of Joey Rive, the former head coach of the men’s program. Hammond assisted Dave Borelli for two years in the women’s program before Borelli moved to the helm of the men’s team.

Hammond will remain the interim head coach until the end of the semester. Then, he will either renew his contract, or a search for a new head coach will begin, senior women’s administrator Marcy Girton said.

“(The resignation) happened very quickly this summer,” Girton said. “(Hammond) signed a contract for the entire season. He took the job for us and is doing a great job and will be re-evaluated at the end of the season.”

Hammond said he will seek the head coaching job next season and he and his family would enjoy staying in the area for his entire career.

Senior Karine Ionesco said Hammond and Borelli share similar coaching styles but pointed out Hammond’s organizational skills.

“I think, for me, he has the same pattern of practices,” Ionesco said. “It hasn’t been a drastic difference for any of us. He’s pretty organized. I think we have organized practices, which is a good thing. We know ahead of time what we’ll be working on.”

Like Borelli, striking a balance between work and play is one of Hammond’s priorities.

“I learned so much from the previous coach, Dave Borelli, in so many areas,” Hammond said. “The biggest thing I’m trying to translate is just to have fun and try to have a good time but work really hard.”

Senior captain Ana Cetnik said she is confident the team, ranked No. 16 according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, will continue its winning ways against competition that Hammond said could include eight of the top 10 teams.

“I think we are going to play as well as we did (in the fall),” Cetnik said. “I know we are going to play good, so I’m really confident about us.”

Hammond said he learned many techniques as Borelli’s assistant and knows he was fortunate to team with such “an excellent technician on the court.”

“You can learn many things, to my knowledge, through working with him and being out there with him,” Hammond said. “He has years and years of experience at a very high level. Getting a chance to spend two years with him was a fantastic inspiration to me, and he’s just been an excellent man to work with.”

The Horned Frogs open their spring season with their second appearance at the National Team Indoor Championships on Feb. 1-4 in Madison, Wis.

Last year, the Frogs dispatched then-No.7 Vanderbilt before losing to Harvard and North Carolina.