Really quick intro for this one because D3AS is counting on me to get this out by 1pm. There were a bunch of great results last week, starting of course with CNU defeating Hopkins, but Brandeis, Swat, TCNJ, and even Cal Tech had action this week as well. Let’s get these recaps going!
The Week that Was:
As per usual, I’m using old ITA rankings for the recaps.
#31 Swarthmore def. #20 W&L 7-2:
Without Holt and Krasner, the Generals weren’t much of a match for the Garnet, who had been missing a good win from their schedule, but finally got one over an injury-plagued team. I knew that it would be really tough for the Generals to compete with Swat in singles, but I was pretty surprised the Garnet really dominated the doubles, sweeping the three matches 5, 5, and 3. Swat then cruised at 5 and 6 to clinch the match. The Generals did get a couple nice wins in singles, with Will Bannister taking out John Larkin 1 and 3, and Zack Ely defeating Thomas Vernier 3 and 4. Things don’t get easier for the Generals as they take on Carnegie Mellon tomorrow. The Garnet also have a big match, as they’ll take on CC rival Hopkins!!! Hop is a little down after their loss to CNU, so this is a huge opportunity for Swarthmore. Similar to how CNU might overtake Mary Wash in their conference, we’ll see if Swat can do the same to Hop.
#28 Brandeis def. Babson 6-3:
Brandeis took on a Babson squad on Wednesday that always seems to be tricky, and while the Judges got the win, Babo competed really well. After Deis won two of three doubles pretty comfortably, the Judges were able to win easily at #4-6 singles to clinch the win. Jeff Cherkin, a junior, was in there at #6 for the Judges. With the senior Danny Lubarsky and the junior Cherkin at #5/6, Coach Lamanna is really turning to his depth later in the season. At one point, the Judges had two freshman and a sophomore at those spots, but no longer. What I really want to focus on, and by focus on I mean write 3-4 sentences about, is the top of the Judges lineup. Ryan Bunis lost at #1 in straights to Roberto Perez, and Michael Arguello lost in three sets at #3 to Brandon Rosenbluth. Although Rosenbluth is a solid freshman recruit, Arguello definitely has the experience and I’m surprised he wasn’t able to grind out that third set. Brian Granoff won 10-8 in a super over Victor Vu, a very clean ball striker, and although Granoff won, he also lost the second set 6-1, so I’m not sure how a full third would have gone. The Judges depth has been solid as of late, but they are taking on Bates this Sunday, where they will have to have strong play at the top if they want to pull the upset.
#29 CNU def. #13 Hopkins 5-4:
This is not an April fool’s joke!!! Last Saturday, the CNU Captains marched into Baltimore and scored a monumental upset over the Blue Jays, and they did it not with doubles, as typical upsets will happen, but with their singles. Hop actually was able to take 2 doubles matches, highlighted by an 8-0 win at #3. CNU did not waver, however, as they came out and played excellent singles. They won in three sets at #1, #3, and #4, and Justin Cerny won the first set over Jeremy Dubin before he retired. Most impressive was David Reed’s win over Buxbaum, where he lost the first 6-4, but won the next two sets 0 and 1. That’s about as dominating a three set win as you’ll see. Steven Boslet and senior Chiraag Shetty outlasted their opponents in similar fashion, winning 6-0 and 6-2 in the third, respectively. Although CNU lost tight straight-set matches at #5 and #6, it didn’t matter because of how well the Captains played at #1-4. Congrats to CNU and Sonny Dearth on a really terrific team win. Ain’t no rest for the Captains, though, as they still have matches against Mary Wash, Stevens, and TCNJ before the CAC tournament, where they’ll look to overtake Mary Washington. They also will take on Salisbury in five days on 4/6, definitely no cake walk.
#37 TCNJ def. NYU 6-3:
Turbo recaps for these next few as I look to get this roundup all rounded up before my next meeting. This was probably the marquee regional match up last week, as NYU was looking for a big win, and win probably would have gotten them in the rankings, as Lewis & Clark and Oberlin are somehow ranked this time around. Anyway, this score was 6-3, but honestly, it was more like a 7-2 result, as TCNJ swept dubs, and won at #4-6 all in straights. NYU won super breakers at #2 and #3, with the best result for the Violets being a good straight set win for Sidd Thangirala over Pierce Cooper at #1. The Violets were missing their #3, Sam Khoshbin in this match, as well as Umberto Setter who I’m pretty sure has not played a dual match yet this spring. NYU always seems to be missing guys for one reason or another, but it’s pretty difficult to beat a ranked team without a full lineup. TCNJ showed great doubles and depth in the win, but things won’t get easier as they’ll head to Fredericksburg this weekend to take on Mary Wash.
#27 UT-Tyler def. Cal Tech 6-3:
Cal Tech had a fun little Texas trip last weekend, and got wins over Texas Lutheran and LeTourneau. The biggest match for the Beavers was a match against UT-Tyler, with the Eagles coming away with a 6-3 win. After sweeping doubles, Coach Bizot put in a couple new guys at #5 and #6, and Cal Tech was able to win at both of those spots. The best match for Tech was at #3, where Ruthwick Pathireddy capped off a really strong weekend with a straight-set win over Joey Fischer. Although Tyler won this match fairly easily, it was great to see Cal Tech take the opportunity to travel to take on a strong opponent. This will certainly help them as they still have Occidental, Chapman, and Whittier to play as the #4 spot in the SCIAC is completely up for grabs at this point.
The Week to Come:
There’s a battle in the NWC, Bates heads to Deis, Mary Wash takes on Swat, and more! Keep reading please:
Friday
#14 Whitman @ #35 Pacific:
The Boxers have bounced back nicely from graduation this year with a 14-2 record so far, with only 1 loss being to a D3 opponent (#35 Denison). They have wins over Oberlin, Lewis & Clark, Cal Lu, Oxy, Cal Tech, and Colby, but their toughest test comes at 4pm west coast time against NWC foe Whitman. Although Whitman has been a little streaky as of late, with losses to Bowdoin, CMS, and Tufts, they did take out Redlands 7-2 and are still big favorites in this match. Some big matches to watch in this one are Clark Wininger (Pac) vs. Phil Locklear (Whit) at #2 and Oscar Wight (Pac) vs. Chase Friedman (Whit) at #3. Whitman has shown solid depth this year though, so I definitely like them at #5 and #6, and I also favor Zach Hewlin at #1. Whitman 7-2.
Saturday
#25 W&L @ #7 Carnegie Mellon:
The Generals will travel out to Pittsburgh to take on CMU at what is probably the worst possible timing for W&L. They were playing such good tennis after the Mary Wash win, but the Generals are reeling right now after two huge injuries and a routine loss to Swarthmore. Carnegie has been playing great doubles this year, and I don’t see any reason why that wouldn’t continue against the Generals. CMU is too deep for W&L after the injuries and just too strong up top. I think Abhishek Alla will pick apart Thomas Johnson at #1, and while Will Bannister is playing well for W&L at #2, I think the freshman Daniel Levine is having too good of a year. Compared to other top 10 teams, CMU might lack a little bit of depth, as Zheng, Wadwani, and Downing are a little inconsistent, but they should be too much for W&L. 8-1 CMU.
#38 TCNJ @ #27 Mary Washington
Mary Wash is reeling after losses to F&M and Bates, and while TCNJ has only played five matches this spring, they’ve certainly made the most of them with wins over RPI, Haverford, and NYU. Their schedule heats up starting this weekend, as they will take on the Eagles. Mary Washington is a much different team from the squad that almost took out PP on their spring break, as Stratton Gilmore is no longer on the team. Against Salisbury, Mary Wash started a split squad and had Lunding-Johansson play #1 against St. Mary’s, and Brandon Griffin lost to Eric Spangler of Salisbury as a result. Mary Washington plays Frostburg State in the morning before playing TCNJ, so it will be interesting to see the Eagles’ lineup. TCNJ’s depth has been excellent as of late, with an 8-1 record at spots #4-6 against RPI, Haverford, and NYU, although Mary Washington is certainly a deeper team than any of those. I actually think TCNJ will jump out to a doubles lead, and while Mary Wash has struggled a little in the clutch as of late (they lost two matches 7-6 in the third to Bates and lost 6-3), I think Pierce Cooper at #1 for TCNJ is struggling a bit, and Mary Wash has much more match experience this year. 6-3 Mary Washington
Sunday
#22 Bates @ #32 Brandeis:
Brandeis and Bates play every year, but it’s been a while since the Judges have gotten a victory (2010-11 season). There have been some tight matches over the years, but the Judges will finally look to win this Sunday as the Bobcats will travel down to Waltham. The Judges this year have won all the matches that they should, but have also not won any matches as underdogs, hence their ranking slipping from #28 to #32 in the most recent rankings. While I definitely think the Judges are a top 30 team, they haven’t quite proven it yet this year. Their top 3 guys (Bunis, Granoff, Arguello), who I thought would be strengths for them, have been okay, but inconsistent. #4-6 has been a revolving door, with Tyler Ng, who was once playing #6, now playing #4. The Bates lineup has been much more consistent, as Ben Rosen has seemingly secured his spot at #1, with Chris Ellis and Fergus Scott both playing good tennis behind him. I like Bates to win 2 of those 3 matches, but at spots #4-6 is where the Judges can pounce (I admit, that works much better for a Bobcat than a Judge). Brent Feldman has struggled at #4 for Bates, and Ordway and Quijano are both talented but inconsistent. If Lubarsky plays #5 for Brandeis, him vs. Ordway should be a really good match between two experienced guys. In doubles, I favor Bates, but Brandeis does have enough firepower to compete at every court. Also a big factor in the match is the weather. Snow is in the forecast for Sunday, meaning they will likely play on Brandeis’ three indoor courts. Although the Judges wonderful Twitter account reports newly resurfaced courts, there are still only 3, meaning Bates could clinch this match early if they win at that top, since only #1-3 singles will be out at the beginning of singles. I’m not sure if they will even play this match to completion because of that, but I’m going to go with 6-3 Bates.
D3NE also echoes my sentiment, and is going with Bates wins at #1 and #2 doubles, and ultimately wins a 6-3 match that is closer than the final score.
#27 Mary Washington @ #24 Swarthmore:
Apparently I’m doing D3AS’ job with this preview, but he’s mad at me for not getting this out sooner, so I’ll write another preview just to make him even more annoyed. You’re welcome D3AS! Anyway, really quick preview of this one because it’s a terrific matchup. Both of these schools have struggled in tight matches this year, and if Mary Washington falls to TCNJ on Saturday, I think they will just be too defeated and Swat will cruise. Assuming Mary Wash does win, this sets up to be a really good match. Swat is playing well right now, though I wonder what has happened to Blake Oetting, who was a really good #4 last year for them. Regardless, they are playing excellent singles, with Mark Fallati turning into a solid #1, and John Larkin and Ari Cepelewicz backing him up well. Simon Vernier has struggled a little at #4, but Josh Powell has been grinding well at #6. They’ve also gotten their doubles on track after a sweep of W&L. I’ve talked in depth about Mary Wash in this roundup so not going to go through it again here. I think Swat is just playing better tennis right now, and while they do tend to underachieve, they are in a good spot after their last win. 6-3 Swarthmore
That’s it from me this week. I’m working on a mid-season article with grades all that jazz for each of my regional teams. Look for that to come out next week along with recaps and previews and everything else. D3Regional out!
Brandeis beats bates and should now be considered a top 10 regional team. also based on losses at 5-4 to redlands and Stevens mention at around 20 nationally would make sense. at the AUU tournament Brandeis could be this years Syracuse, with a strong doubles showing and the depth of its lineup with freshman who are just starting to get enough experience to put them in a top 20 position.
Agreed! Spots that I thought were weak ones for Brandeis, such as #4 singles and #3 doubles, are now turning into strengths. They will still be the 6 seed at UAAs, and it’s very much up in the air who they will play. If they can put all their doubles together on the same day, they are certainly dangerous, though they will definitely be big underdogs against whoever they face (looking like Case, CMU, or Wash U at this point).
@d3Northeast how is Trinity ranked ahead of TCNJ in the region, but unranked nationally (TCNJ is 38)?
1) National and regional ranking committees are separate. However, they are supposed to use the same set of guidelines (in order of significance) A) Head-to-head B) Strength of Schedule C) Results vs. Common Opponents, D) Late Season Play E) W-L Results. It’s very possible that the distinct committees merely interpreted/weighted a couple of things differently.
2) Regional rankings don’t always reflect national rankings, and this has certainly happened before. For example, a few years back Williams was ranked higher than Middlebury nationally, but Midd had a higher regional ranking (guessing 2011, but I’m not certain).
3) Trinity’s most recent mediocre California trip came with losses to Bowdoin and Sewanee. Neither is going to kill a regional ranking, but the loss to Sewanee might hurt a national ranking. Similarly, a win over Vassar might do more to save your regional ranking than your national ranking.
4) I also (though based on purely conjecture) believe that the committee is always looking to put new teams in the rankings whenever possible. It’s good for the expansion of the sport.
5) Rambling thoughts at 1:30 on a Friday night
Simon Vernier beat Whitman’s 4 and Bates’ 4. Has only lost twice this year at 4… Powell has struggled at 6. Think Vernier deserves a bit more credit than what you give him…
Chapman dropping to 16 in the west is absurd. I understand they are no longer a top 40 caliber team, but 5-4 matches that came down to the last set with lewis and clark, and Trinity (CT) should not push them back that far. I don’t understand how teams fell and went up in the new ITA rankings, it seems ridiculous.
While I understand what you’re saying, every team ranked ahead of you has at least one win that’s better than your two wins (Occidental and Linfield). You don’t get credit for losing close matches. I’m sure you’ll move up several spots if you can beat Caltech, Cal Lu, and Whittier, which is definitely within the realm of possibility
On the contrary, I would say that the rankings for Oberlin and Kzoo suggest that close losses *are* being taken into account–almost as if LoveD3Tennis were on the ranking committee (return of the repressed.)
One thing D3Central said is that it seems like the ITA committee doesn’t know what to do after around #32. It seems as if they are throwing darts at that point – but now have to rank 40 teams because they did so a couple years ago.
I think it’s a bit all over the place with regional rankings and national rankings. Chapman doesn’t have an argument to move up as D3West stated. But, as the national rankings are showing, it’s a little strange everywhere.
Do the right thing. Petition to make the bloggers the ITA Rankers 🙂