Both the Middlebury men’s and women’s tennis teams traveled to Maine this past weekend to face NESCAC rivals Bowdoin and Bates on the road. The men picked up a pair of wins on the weekend, surpassing Bowdoin 8-1 on Saturday, April 18 before earning the victory over Bates on Sunday, April 19 by a score of 7-2. The women fell to Bowdoin on Saturday, April 18 before sweeping Bates the following day by a score of 9-0. The two squads each faced nationally-ranked Bowdoin teams and will both return to action this coming Saturday as the men travel to Amherst while the women host the Lord Jeffs at home in Middlebury.
The men’s team maintained their undefeated NESCAC record by defeating eighth-ranked Bowdoin while on the road playing at the Pickard Tennis Courts. The Panthers surged ahead early in the match, securing a 3-0 lead after the conclusion of doubles play. Ari Smolyar ’16 and Noah Farrell ’18 got things rolling for Middlebury with an 8-2 victory in the second flight. Chris Frost ’15 and William de Quant ’18 continued the momentum by earning the second point for the Panthers with an 8-3 decision in the third sport. The number one duo of Palmer Campbell ’16 and Peter Heidrich ’15 completed the sweep in doubles with an action-packed 9-8 win.
With a solid 3-0 lead heading into singles play the Panthers allowed Bowdoin to pick up their sole point of the day as Jackson Frons ’16 was unable to best his opponent in the number four slot. Despite the loss in the first match, Middlebury rallied back to secure the next five straight. Campbell earned a 6-2, 6-2 win at number three and Smolyar brought home the decisive fifth team point with a 6-2, 6-3 performance in the top spot. Also earning wins in singles matches were Courtney Mountifield ’15 at six, Farrell at two and de Quant at number five. Mountifield, Farrell and de Quant’s matches all needed a third set to decide the victor.
The team’s efforts allowed them to leave Bowdoin ahead by a margin of 8-1. Following the match, the Panthers remained in Maine to face the 20th-ranked Bates Bobcats on Sunday.
The Panthers got out to a 2-1 lead after the day’s doubles matches, all of which were tightly contested. Frost and de Quant started things off for the Panthers with an 8-5 win at number three. Smolyar and Farrell dropped the lone doubles match for Middlebury, falling to the opposing Bates duo by a score of 9-8. With the score notched at one apiece Campbell and Heidrich took the court for Middlebury, ultimately earning a 9-8 victory to put the Panthers up 2-1 heading into singles play.
Singles play went largely in favor of the Panthers. Farrell pulled out a 6-0, 6-1 win at number two, followed by Frons in the fourth spot with an identical score for the victory. In search of the decisive point to secure the team victory, de Quant posted a 6-3, 6-1 win at number five. The first flight match featured Smolyar, who holds the top rank regionally, against the Bobcat contender, who is ranked sixth. Smolyar gained the point for the Panthers with a 6-4, 6-1 performance. Campbell matched Smolyar’s scores in his contest at number three. The Panthers surrendered their lone loss of singles play as Mountifield fell at number six.
The team concludes their regular season this coming weekend as they travel to fourth-ranked Amherst. The sixth-ranked Panthers sit at 16-2 overall and 6-0 in the NESCAC.
The Middlebury women’s team fell to 10th-ranked Bowdoin by a score of 7-2 while on the road competing on the Pickard Tennis Courts. The Polar Bears got out to a strong start, securing all three points in doubles play. Jennifer Sundstrom ’17 and Kaysee Orozco ’17 fell by a score of 8-4 in the second flight. In a matchup between two regionally-ranked tandems, the Bowdoin duo was able to edge Ria Gerger ’16 and Lily Bondy ’17, who are currently ranked eighth. The hosting Polar Bears continued their doubles sweep as their number three doubles team posted an 8-5 triumph over Lauren Amos ’16 and Alexandra Fields ’17.
The singles matches began as Katie Paradies ’15 fell by a score of 6-2, 6-4 at the number six spot. Bondy and Margot Marchese ’16 were also defeated in their respective singles matches. The Panthers finally got on the board as Fields managed to post a 6-2, 6-4 win at number two. In a hard-fought battle of top-ranked players, the Bowdoin number one earned a 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 victory over Gerger. The number four match yielded another point for Middlebury as Orozco triumphed by a score of 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.
In the wake of the loss the Panthers traveled to Bates the following day to take on another NESCAC opponent. The team picked up a resounding 9-0 sweeping victory to combat a brief two-match losing streak.
A modified Panther lineup secured victories in all three doubles matches on the day. Orozco and Sundstrom started things out at number one with an 8-1 victory. Amos and Fields stepped onto the court in the second flight, easing their way to an 8-2 win. Sadie Shackelford ’16 and Paradies followed suit with an 8-1 decision in the final doubles match to put Middlebury ahead 3-0 heading into the singles matches.
The Panthers continued to dominate in singles play, winning all five matches in straight sets. Gerger, Fields, Paradies and Shackelford eased past their opponents, competing in the top four flights respectively. The bottom of the lineup saw equal success with Amos and Sundstrom also securing wins to end the match 9-0 in favor of the Panthers.
The women’s team will conclude their regular season this coming Saturday when they host third-ranked Amherst at home. The team currently stands at 8-5 overall and 3-2 in the NESCAC.
