Coming off a 6-3 defeat at the hands of No. 21 Bates last weekend, the mens tennis team hoped to get back on track against a pair of challenging opponents Friday and Sunday in Medford. First was Div. I side Villanova, followed by the NESCAC rival Hamilton College.
In Fridays match against the Wildcats, coach Jaime Kenneys group struggled to find a rhythm early. No. 1 doubles pair of senior Ben Barad and freshman Rob Jacobson lost their first match of the season to sophomore Kelly Donaldson and junior Thomas OBrien, 8-4. The Jumbos, possibly anxious from the enhanced competition, also dropped the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matches by respective scores of 8-6 and 8-1.
After the first part of the match concluded, however, Tufts settled in and was able to split the singles matches to keep a competitive final score within reach. No. 1 singles player freshman Nick Telkedzhiev knocked off his opponent in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, while junior Austin Blau and freshman Rob Jacobson also handily disposed of their counterparts in the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, respectively.
Though the Wildcats took home the win 6-3, according to Telkedzhiev the team as a whole still improved and will be ready to face other Div. I schools in future years.
[Playing a Div. I school] was definitely a new experience for us, but for me, it wasnt so different, Telkedzhiev said. As a team, I dont think we were so sure we could win, and that could have been the deciding factor in the match. We recognized our weaknesses overall, and I think next year we can win against a similar opponent.
Following the Villanova match, the Jumbos returned to the courts Sunday against Hamilton looking for their first conference victory. Tufts again struggled early, dropping two of the doubles matches to quickly fall behind 2-1. But Kenneys group was able to regroup, rally and take home all six of the singles matches -- five in straight sets -- to hammer the Continentals in a 7-2 overall victory.
Although the final score may not have been close, both the players and coaches realize that there are still improvements to be made if the Jumbos hope to compete for a NESCAC title in early May.
I think [the Hamilton match] is definitely a step in the right direction, since a win is a win, and against someone in our conference thats always a good thing, Kenney said. But at the end of the day, we have a lot of work to do and the last three matches have given ... some clarity about things we need to work on.
Kenney noted that some of the crucial areas of weakness include decision-making on controllable points such as 30-0 and 40-15, as well as executing in situations where her players have an advantage.
Telkedzhiev, who came to Medford as a recruit from Bulgaria this year, also recognized that these types of mistakes can happen. Still, he acknowledged potential for development over the final month of the season.
In spite of the great weather conditions, it was hard for me to get into my matches this weekend, but eventually I think we all found a way to perform well, Telkedzhiev said. Not only are our games getting stronger, but our mentality as a team is improving, too.
The Jumbos wont play again until the weekend, when they will be tested with a Sunday double-header against NESCAC opponents Conn. College and Wesleyan. Despite missteps against Bates and Villanova, Tufts is still 6-3 overall, 1-2 in the NESCAC, and will look to improve and work their way back into the conference picture.
Its going to be a tricky week, because ... we dont play until next Sunday, but since these are two big matches, its nice that itll give us time to get better, Kenney said. My goal is to come out Sunday and feel like we really stepped it up a level and see the improvement. This is it, and I think were heading in the right direction.
