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"It's going to be weird."

That was the reaction of Sarah Lawrence College student-athlete Juliet Slade (St. Paul, Minn./Central) when asked about the 2016 women's tennis season. Slade, currently a junior, will play her senior season without a critical component that's been a part of her game for three years: doubles partner Autumn Atkinson (Manasquan, N.J./George School).

Slade continued, "It's hard to imagine playing with someone else."

For three seasons, Atkinson and Slade were a fixture of the Gryphon lineup, playing together in 38 of the team's 41 matches since 2013. In the process, the tandem has emerged as the most prolific doubles duo in Sarah Lawrence history with a 33-7 record. They were conference champions in the HVIAC, and both have been selected to all-conference teams. In short, Atkinson and Slade have set up permanent residence in the SLC women's tennis record book.

"It's sad," said Atkinson. "Juliet's been by my side since freshman year, but now I have to go out into the real world."

Though the two players enrolled at Sarah Lawrence in the same year, Atkinson entered the College with an International Baccalaureate diploma, allowing her to skip a year of coursework and complete her SLC degree in three years; she will graduate in May 2016, ending the tennis partnership.

Both described tennis as an essential part of their Sarah Lawrence experience from the very beginning.

"I wanted to continue playing tennis in college," explained Atkinson. "Having the opportunity to try out was a key factor in my decision to come to Sarah Lawrence."

Slade remarked on the importance of tennis in settling in to the college experience. "It helped with making friends immediately. That's probably true of all sports teams."

Atkinson concurred. "Tennis helped us make connections in social circles that wouldn't have otherwise intersected. Juliet and I probably wouldn't have even met; she's concentrating in computer science and I'm focusing on Middle Eastern studies and French."

From their rookie season, Atkinson and Slade quickly emerged as a remarkable doubles pair.

Atkinson felt the connection almost immediately. "With partners I played with in high school, and even with the other teammates I've had at SLC, I've never felt as connected. Our playing styles complement each other, and we work well together."

Atkinson and Slade went 4-0 to start their career. In the team's fifth match of the season, Head Coach Frank Fanning made an adjustment to the lineup, pairing them with other partners. Atkinson lost; Slade lost. The next day, the two were reunited, and except for a pair of matches that Atkinson missed at the end of 2014, Atkinson and Slade have been side-by-side every match since.

"We were three weeks into our first season, and we already felt like a team," observed Atkinson.

"We've always worked well together," Slade reflected. "In our doubles matches, we connect after every point, which allows us to celebrate good shots and forget about the bad ones."

Atkinson added, "Whether we're playing doubles or singles, there is a strong sense of unity. We call it the 'doubles thing.'"

At the end of the 2013 season, Atkinson and Slade ran the table at the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships and finished their rookie season 15-0 as a pair. Atkinson collected her first all-conference nod, and in a program history spanning four decades, they were the first SLC doubles team to win more than seven matches and finish the season undefeated.

The season came down to the HVIAC championship final, in which the SLC pair faced opponents from Pratt Institute. After falling behind early, Atkinson and Slade took the lead but again were trailing late in the match. After fighting off a match point, they won the final three games of a 9-7 victory.

Atkinson remembered the feat proudly. "We had already beaten that team in the regular-season, so we knew we could do it again. That was one of the first matches that we had to focus to turn the match in our favor. It was amazing to have an undefeated season."

Slade recalled, "It was a defining moment in our partnership. We knew we could do it, and we did."

For their efforts, the head coaches of all Sarah Lawrence's teams elected Atkinson and Slade to share the department's Newcomer of the Year Award, making them the only athletes to be nominated together, let alone win.

Of course, perfection rarely lasts forever. In 2014, Sarah Lawrence transitioned to the Skyline Conference, and with the move, the team now faces tougher opponents. After three more victories, the streak was finally broken after 18 wins in a row.

"We knew we had to lose eventually," admitted Slade, "we were just wondering when it would happen. When it did, it was somewhat relieving. It's okay that Autumn and I lose sometimes, we're only human."

Atkinson clarified, "We like competing in the Skyline Conference; it's more physically, intellectually, and emotionally rewarding to play challenging matches. We really improved against tougher opponents."

Atkinson and Slade finished their second season 9-3 as a pair with more than twice the wins of any other partnership on the team. Atkinson turned enough heads in the league to be selected to the All-Skyline team by the league's coaches.

In 2015, Atkinson and Slade played every match together, racking up another nine doubles wins, giving them a team-record 33 wins together. With doubles success so embedded in the team mentality, it almost went unnoticed that another pair of Gryphons was having a career season.

SLC seniors Sarah Fiordaliso (Buffalo, N.Y./Sweet Home) and Lane Garber (Los Altos, Calif./Los Altos) finished the 2015 regular season with a 12-0 record. Their record would have been squarely atop the SLC leaderboard if not for Atkinson and Slade's success two years prior. Inclement weather forced the SLC team to scratch two opponents from their schedule, stranding Fiordaliso and Garber short of an opportunity to tie the team record.

By the end of the 2015 season, Sarah Lawrence took things one step further. After finishing 4-3 against conference opponents, SLC qualified to participate in the Skyline Championship tournament, becoming the school's first program to win their way into a Skyline postseason event. The Gryphons were slotted against Farmingdale State, a team that went 7-0 against conference opponents.

"We were nervous against Farmingdale, but our whole team stepped up," asserted Slade.

Atkinson recapped the playoff match in detail. "We lost in that match, but we improved drastically from the last time we played them." To be sure, Atkinson and Slade improved upon an 8-3 regular-season loss by winning six games in the rematch. "I honestly think we scared them a bit. If I had been able to finish my singles match, I would've won."

Said Slade, "It was a perfect last match of the season and of our partnership. It was really bittersweet."

Following the conference tournament, Atkinson and Slade were both selected to the 2015 Skyline All-Conference Teams. Atkinson's first-team selection made her the third SLC student-athlete to be named to a first team in any sport, while Slade's second-team selection provided the all-conference recognition that had eluded her in the two prior seasons.

Not to be overlooked, Atkinson's and Slade's respective singles careers are remarkable as well. Atkinson finished her career 28-11, second on the program's all-time singles wins list. Slade has accrued a more moderate 16-13 record, but needs just three wins in her final season to break into the team's top-10 list. At a school where missing a season to study abroad is a rite of passage, Slade stands to become one of fewer than a dozen Gryphons play in four full seasons.

Looking ahead to next season, Slade is confident that she will be successful with her new doubles partner, to be determined. "I love tennis, and I love the team. It'll be different next year, but we knew this would happen."

A year from now, Atkinson plans to be living in France, teaching English. Even from another continent, she'll be rooting for her team and her former partner.

"Juliet's the kind of friend that I'm going to have for life," concluded Atkinson. "I'm already planning on sending her notes of encouragement before every match and cheering her on from afar."

While the 2016 season remains 10 months away, one thing is for certain. Without the team of Atkinson and Slade in the lineup, it's going to be weird.