Tennis Teams Finish Regular Seasons

Last weekend, April 29-30, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams rounded out their last matches of the regular season, posting wins across the board. The men’s team ended their season with a 6-3 win at no. 8 Amherst, while the women swept both Amherst and Skidmore 9-0.

The women’s team has moved up to no. 2 in the national polls, closing out a 10-game winning streak.

“Coming off the weekend, we feel united as a team,” said Maddi Stow ’20. “Now that we have a taste of how winning feels, we want to keep it up heading into postseason.”
On the men’s side, the top-ranked team won nine of their last 10 matches. Both teams will return to the court next weekend at the NESCAC Championships, hosted by Williams.

The women’s team kicked off the weekend with an outdoor home match on Saturday. The hosts jumped to a 3-0 lead after doubles play, and won straight-set wins in five of six matches in singles. Heather Boehm ’20 breezed by her opponent at no. 5 and Alexandra Fields ’17 clinched the match at the top spot.

Christina Puccinelli ’19 posted a win at no. 2 singles, while Stow fought back from a set down at the sixth spot.

Boehm also posted her 12th-consecutive victory overall, and clinched the match with a 6-1, 7-5 victory at the no. 2 spot over Skidmore.
Last week, Boehm commented that the key thing getting Midd through each match is the energy.

“The support we give to each other on and off the court gives us a huge advantage over other teams,” she said.

The men’s side travelled to Amherst, Mass., on Sunday to close out their regular season slate. The Panthers won two of three matches during doubles play, only allowing the hosts to get on the board with a win at no. 3.

Lubo Cuba ’19 and William de Quant ’18 battled at no. 1, forcing a seven-point tie breaker during their doubles match. Amherst scored the first four points, but the top-ranked Middlebury pair answered with seven-straight points, pushing Middlebury up 2-1.

“We did what we’ve been doing all season,” Cuba said. “We compete hard and play to our strengths and we were fortunate enough to walk away with a win today.”

Entering singles, Cuba claimed Middlebury’s third point with a 6-2, 6-4 victory, while de Quant also followed up with a 6-3, 6-4 win at no. 2.

The team only suffered two following losses in singles play. Hamid Derbani ’17 clinched the match at no. 3 with a tough 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (5) win.

Both teams roll into NESCACs this weekend, May 6-7, coming off hard-fought victories.

“We are ready to compete for each other and for Midd,” Stow said about the teams’ momentum. “We want to keep that in mind as we compete under increased pressure.”

“Our mindset won’t change for the postseason,” Cuba added. “We have been working hard every single practice and workout and that’ll stay consistent. We know we put in the work and I think that’ll reflect in our performance in NESCACs and NCAAs.”