2 Posts 1 Day. Not nearly as fun as the original, but feel free to keep eating while reading. If you didn’t read my morning NESCAC update, check it out, it’s a fun read. After delivering another masterful Regional Roundup, D3Reg has been strangely quiet so far this weekend. The rest of us have been doing big things for our regions. D3AS and D3Central each have two teams in the UAA Semis, D3West has his precious Ojai, and I have the good ole’ NESCAC. So for all you ‘CAC fans, and really that should be any fan of DIII tennis, here is the latest update. Warning, scenarios might get a touch convoluted…
AMHERST (7-0)
Matches Remaining: vs. Middlebury on Saturday at 1pm
Possible Outcomes: Amherst clinches the #1 seed in the conference tournament with a win Saturday vs. Midd. Whoever loses will be the #2 seed. See the mini match preview at the end of this post.
MIDDLEBURY (6-0)
Matches Remaining: @ Amherst on Saturday at 1pm
Possible Outcomes: Midd cilnches the #1 seed at NESCACs by winning at Amherst on Saturday. Whoever loses will be the #2 seed. See the mini match preview at the end of this post.
BOWDOIN (5-3)
Matches Remaining: @ Williams on Saturday at 2pm
Possible Outcomes: Big 5-4 win today for the Polar Bears. With the win, Bowdoin locks up a postseason berth. With a win tomorrow, Bowdoin clinches the #3 seed. With a loss at Williams, Bowdoin will end up as the #4 seed and get a first round rematch with the Jumbos. Should be a dandy.
TRiNITY CT (5-3)
Matches Remaining: NONE
Possible Outcomes: As I said this morning, Trinity has already booked a trip to NESCACs. I believe, though it would include some crazy tiebreakers, that Trinity is locked into the #4 seed. We’ll know for sure tomorrow.
BATES (4-3)
Matches Remaining: @ Williams on Sunday at 1pm
Possible Outcomes: It’s not like we were expecting Bates to beat Amherst today, but they’ve really put the pressure on themselves by losing. Plain and simple, beat Williams on Sunday and they’re in (as either the #4 or #5 seed), but lose to Williams on Sunday and they’re completely out. PRESSURE!
TUFTS (4-4)
Matches Remaining: NONE
Possible Outcomes: A filling of boring sandwiched between the two pressure cookers. Even though Tufts fell at Bowdoin today, the Jumbos are assured a postseason berth. Tufts will most likely be the #6 seed, but there is a slight chance that the Jumbos end up as the #5 seed.
WILLIAMS (3-3)
Matches Remaining: vs. Bowdoin on Saturday at 2pm and vs. Bates on Sunday at 1pm.
Possible Outcomes: Very similar to Bates. The match vs. Bowdoin tomorrow only matters for seeding purposes (and Bowdoin’s NCAA hopes). The match vs. Bates on Sunday will be for all the marbles. Win, and you’re in. Lose, and you’re seniors are hanging up their racquets for good.
A normal blogger would stop now, but we are not normal bloggers. In fact, we are abnormal. So here are Saturday’s mini match previews with their implications for all teams involved.
Saturday 1pm: Middlebury @ Amherst. Even if this match has very little say in who makes NESCACs, this match is huge for NCAA seeding. Both Midd and Amherst should be virtual locks to get #1 seeds. The only way this doesn’t happen is if the loser of tomorrow’s battle falls in the NESCAC semis, but even then I think they would still get a #1 seed. If Midd and Amherst make the NESCAC finals for a rematch of tomorrow’s match, then both should be top 5 #1 seeds, maybe even top 4 #1 seeds. AND, if one team were to sweep the other (meaning they win tomorrow and again in our hypothetical conference tournament finals, the winner would likely earn the overall #2 seed, and make sure to avoid a possible matchup with CMS until the finals. In tomorrow’s match, I’m taking Amherst. The Jeffs have been playing some beautiful tennis of late. Just look at their doubles scores from today vs. Bates, #1: 8-3, #2: 8-0, #3: 8-1, that’s an absolute drubbing. Midd’s doubles teams are a step up from Bates’, but Bates plays decent doubles. I see Amherst taking at least a 2-1 lead after doubles, and then working their way to wins at 2, 4, 6 for the clinch. #1 also has some serious NCAA implications, as Yaraghi and Smolyar should both be close to locks for Individual NCAAs. Prediction: Amherst wins 6-3, but comfortably.
Saturday 2pm: Bowdoin @ Williams. I don’t understand how this match can mean so little in regards to NESCACs. It barely even affects the seeding! This was the match that I circled on my calendar at the beginning of the spring, and now it’s somewhat anticlimactic. Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty to chew on from this match, but I was hoping for a Pool-C spot on the line for both teams type of match. The only way Williams is getting into NCAAs is by winning the whole damn conference tournament. Williams’ conference tournament fate will be decided on Sunday vs. Bates. Neither Williams nor Bowdoin has played its best tennis of late, but the Polar Bears are coming off a dramatic 5-4 win over Tufts earlier today. I don’t know if Coach Smith and the boys drove out tonight after the match, or if they’re getting up early tomorrow after yet another night of Ivies, but either way the Polar Bears could be a step slow tomorrow. I don’t love either team’s doubles, but I’ll give the Ephs a 2-1 nod headed into singles. I like Trinka over Raventos at #1, think Shastri and Bragg will be a dog fight, like Schidlovsky over Wolfe at #3, Tercek over Grodecki at #4, Raghavan over Wolstencroft at #5, and Roddy over Harron at #6. ALTHOUGH, i’m excited to see what Harron can do now that he’s been relegated down to the bottom of the lineup. Overall, I still see this match going Bowdoin’s way, but all of the contributing factors (Williams’ home courts, traveling the day after a match, Ivies going on over the past few days, etc.) Prediction: Bowdoin def. Williams 5-4, not so comfortably.
Le sigh. Ok, boys and girls, that’s all for now. Check back tomorrow night for a preview of both the UAA championship match, and a look at Williams vs. Bates and the rest of the NESCAC scenarios. Buckle up for one of the best days of DIII tennis of the year!