As the season rolls along, you’d think it would get easier to see how teams stack up. Well, I’m finding that to definitely NOT be the case, as more and more I’m seeing the classic “Team A beats Team B, Team B beats Team C, and Team C beats team A” scenario. Makes for difficult power rankings, but as an unobjective observer I am loving the parity right now. This past week we saw some very interesting and surprising results from Kalamazoo’s spring break trip as well as a few lower ranked teams putting together nice week’s down in Florida. A few quick thoughts on the week that was:
- Kalamazoo’s loss to TCNJ was not expected (by me), but I wouldn’t call it a bad loss. Getting swept in doubles was disappointing, but TCNJ is generally a solid doubles team and was playing at home. This is Kalamazoo’s first (and probably going to be only) loss of the spring. One blemish doesn’t diminish a very nice season, or what looked like a very cool and unique spring break trip.
#18 Kzoo Men's Tennis practicing at UPenn before their first match against #40 TCNJ #SB2k17 pic.twitter.com/fzMg2C4PuD
— Kalamazoo College Men's Tennis (@kzoomtennis) March 20, 2017
- Their bounce back against NYU was impressive, especially since I thought this would be their toughest match. Their depth really stepped up as they won easily down at 5 and 6, and Daniel Henry also had a dominating 1&1 win at #2 vs Ben Teoh.
- I’m really glad we got the Metzler vs Umberto Setter match, as we should’ve. Metzler did what he does, winning 6-1 in the third.
- As I said on Twitter, credit to the Babson Beavers on a 4-0 spring break trip down in Florida, beating some ranked Central region teams. The gap between them and MIT is much bigger than it has been recently in the NEWMAC, but the Beavers—currently up at 16 in the Northeast—should be able to hold on to a top 20 regional ranking this spring.
- I’m not entirely sure what to make of Hobart’s 7-2 win over Ithaca. Jonah Salita scored a great win over Minos Stavrakas at #1, and if Hobart can get some wins at the top this year that will be huge, as I see them as being strongest mid-lineup. So far this year, you have to say that Hobart is the second best team in the Liberty League, behind Skidmore but ahead of RPI.
Nate Parsons, the clincher for Luther against Carthage - Big shoutout to Luther College for going 6-0 last week in Orlando, including an absolute thriller vs Grinnell. Five of the six singles matches split sets (the other one was 5&5) and ALL THREE doubles matches were 9-8. Grinnell is ranked 14th right now, and while they’ve had a few bad losses this spring, this is still a great result for the Norse. They also backed it up with a 5-4 win over #16 Carthage, clinching it in a deciding super tiebreaker at #3, where Nate Parsons carried the Norse over the finish line with a 7-5, 2-6, 10-6 win. Look for Luther to pop into the Central top 20 when the new rankings come out next Friday!
- Finally, another shoutout to the Luther faithful. My twitter was on fire with likes and retweets after mentioning some of their results this week. Love the enthusiasm that comes with this team, and I’m glad to see some results that correspond with it!
This upcoming week is a big one in the Northeast, with a number of match-ups that have major implications for rankings as well as postseason tournament seedings. We’ve also got another team headed west and a few other regional matchups to discuss. Let’s get right to it:
DePauw vs Wash U, Saturday 10am
As ASouth wrote in this week’s Power Rankings, DePauw hasn’t really done much this spring, and here is a chance to prove that they are a legit NCAC contender. Beating Wash U is a stretch, but I could see them getting as close as 6-3 or maybe even 5-4. Both teams generally play solid doubles, and I expect DePauw to win at least one match there. Singles wise, the main event will be Rodefeld vs Wu, a huge match for Rodefeld as he looks to solidify his case for NCAAs this year. Not a ton of data points to go on here for the Tigers, so it’s hard to really go match by match with predictions, but my gut tells me this one will be a 7-2 win for the Bears, and I tend to trust my gut.
Hobart vs NYU, Saturday 11am
These teams play every year, and every year it seems like NYU wins. That could change on Saturday though, as I expect an absolute battle in NYC. Both teams are fiery and pretty evenly matched, and I would say that if I could only watch one match this weekend, this would be the one. Neither team has shown themselves to be great at doubles, so it’ll probably be 2-1 afterwards, though I don’t know who will take the lead. In singles, I’ll pick NYU’s Setter at #1 over Salita, and Hobart’s Atwater over Teoh at #2. #3 is a toss up and a big swing match with freshman Alan Dubrovsky taking on senior and loyal blog follower Matt DeMichiel. Lower in the lineup, it somewhat depends on whether Mike Rusk plays for Hobart. He hasn’t seen too much action this spring, and while I’d still take Michael Li of NYU at #4 regardless of who he plays, #5 and #6 is much more matchup dependent. As I break this one down though I get the sense that the more experienced Violets come through on their home courts with a 5-4 win.
Skidmore vs RPI, Saturday 1pm
A match I had hyped up during the season previews is finally here, with much less excitement than originally expected. RPI has not had a great spring so far, while Skidmore has exceeded expectations despite finishing eighth at Stag-Hen. I’m still not entirely giving up on RPI based on their talent level and the reported injuries and illnesses they’ve been dealing with, but I definitely give Skidmore the edge this weekend. In doubles, Leung/Wynne have played great recently despite a very shaky fall, so I lean towards them at #1 against Castillo-Sanchez and Ebenfeld, who have struggled to regain the form that led them to the ITA title in the fall. At 2 and 3 no team has really established themselves, which is why I lean towards a split, giving Skidmore a 2-1 advantage going into singles. I can’t pick against Leung at #1, and Koulouris has also developed into a very good player at #2, so chalk both those matches up to Skid. At #3, assuming Tristan Wise plays, I like him over Lucas Pickering. #4 between JT Wynne and Zack Ebenfeld could be a tight one, as both have had some good results this spring. At 5 and 6 I’m also leaning towards Skidmore, as RPI’s depth is not their strong suit. All that adds up to a likely 7-2 win for Skidmore as they continue to assert their dominance in the Liberty League.
Rochester vs TCNJ, Saturday 1pm
Back in action after a trip to Puerto Rico where they only faced local colleges, Rochester will have their work cut out for them as TCNJ rides the high of their win over Kalamazoo. Doubles wise, I think TCNJ comes up with a 2-1 lead with wins at 2 and 3. Fujimaki/Mevorach have had some good wins for the Jackets at #1 and it’s been TCNJ’s weakest spot so far. In singles, I think these teams are similar, with solid-but-not-stud #1’s and enough depth to potentially win anywhere. I like TCNJ at 2, 3, 5, and 6, which is enough to give them a 6-3 win.
Oberlin vs Ohio Wesleyan, Saturday 2:30pm
Ohio Wesleyan hosts Oberlin as the Yeoman return from Hilton Head, where they cruised over some lesser competition. OWU just went 6-3 with Denison last week, and are another team that is adding to the depth of the NCAC. Both these teams are similar in that there isn’t a huge difference between any of their starters, so a lot of their points are won lower in the lineup. Despite this similarity in terms of style, Oberlin probably does it a bit better, as their 65 to 63 UTR Power 6 indicates. I actually wouldn’t be stunned to see OWU win, but my pick is Oberlin 6-3.
Rochester vs NYU, Sunday 10am
These two teams know each other very well, as they play in the regular season yearly and almost always meet down at the UAA tournament in April. Three years in a row now NYU has lost the in-season matchup only to bounce back and win in Florida. At stake in this one will be some UAA seeding implications, not just for these two, but also for Brandeis. The Judges should be rooting hard for NYU, as a Rochester win could potentially push Deis down to the #8 seed, as it did a few years ago. NYU has shown the potential to be a solid top-40 team this year, whereas Rochester, frankly, has not. As always, a doubles stinker from NYU is never out of the question, and of course if Rochester manages to sweep then they certainly could hang on for two singles wins, but realistically I see NYU winning this one 6-3. These two teams seem to always have tight matches regardless of what’s expected, so I’ll be keeping an eye on twitter, but I’d be surprised if the ‘Jackets can once again score a regular season win over the Violets.
Hobart vs TCNJ, Sunday 12pm
Another good Northeast matchup that should hopefully gives us some clarity in terms of where these teams stand. All of these NYU-UR-Hobart-TCNJ matchups will be helpful to the Northeast ranking committee, as regional rankings are scheduled to come out next Thursday. Both teams should be coming off close matches the previous day, but I like TCNJ to get a doubles lead and then have their upperclassmen step up. Jack August, Chris D’Agostino, and Mike Stanley have all been big contributors for the Lions for years now, and I expect them to step up over the relatively younger Statesmen. I’m taking TCNJ 6-3.
DePauw vs Williams, Wednesday 6pm
I figured I’d at least make note that this match is happening. I don’t really have much to say about it, honestly. It’s taking place out in Claremont, where DePauw also plays Cal Lu and Westmont.
Tennis Snack of the Week
My snack of the week has been a big hit, so let’s keep it rolling with…Clif Shot Bloks. It’s candy, but for athletes!™ (If that’s not their marketing slogan, it should be.)
Have a good weekend everybody!