This Week in West: April 14 – …

West region fans, it deeply saddened me to punt last week’s West segment to Regional (who did a great job, btw, give the guy a hand), especially The Battle of Sixth Street looming, but I had a hard time telling the bossman, “yo, I know you pay me to do this, but I gotta take a break to post on a tennis blog.” Good news is I’m back today, and the West region is looking as strong as ever despite my absence! Let’s start with the recent results:

Last Fortnight In West

April 1st – CMS def. Williams 8-1

Blah, blah, blah. More of CMS flexing its muscles. Williams got its point at #5 where Lil Weiss beat Macey, making me wonder if Settles was considering a switch for Hull near the end of the season despite their success all year.

April 3rd – CMS def. Redlands 8-1

No drama here. CMS didn’t drop a set in singles, and the Wood/Lipscomb rivalry probably concluded with a thud. Dulle and Ly got a nice win at #3 dubs for Redlands even before the freshman flexed his POTW muscles

April 10th – CMS def. Pomona-Pitzer 6-3

The Hens took 2 out of 3 doubles and came within shouting distance of the doubles sweep at #1 before CMS erased any thoughts of an upset in singles. This match represented the first time this season where I ever thought “you know, CMS could drop this one” before the match was over after Bello took the second set against Dorn. Nevertheless, CMS won four fairly routine singles matches to close it out. Chuddy got a big straight-set win over Wood to cement his nationals standing.

April 10th – Redlands def. Cal Lu 9-0

This year has been pretty much devoid of the doubles upsets that have muddles the West region dubs nationals picture in years past (more on that later), as Lipscomb/Cummins took care of business in this one. Lipscomb managed to beat Cardenas in a 10-pointer to lock himself into a top 8 regional position (not that there was a doubt), as the Dawgs bounced the Kingsmen.

April 10th – Wash U def. Texas-Tyler 5-4

Despite what happened the rest of the weekend, this match showed me that Tyler can be a danger to a top team on the right day. They won two doubles matches 9-7 and realistically thought about a sweep, which could’ve made the difference. Carswell may be struggling, but the fact that Budd beat him (albeit in a 10-pointer) says worlds about the sneaky-good season Budd is having right now. It’s a shame for him that he didn’t do this in Walla Walla because even a win over Krull might not get him into nationals at this point. The fact that Tyler competed at the bottom of the singles lineup against Wash U is also a harbinger of good things to come for the Pats

April 11th – Redlands def. Pomona-Pitzer 5-4

This was pretty easily the match of the weekend for the West region, as the Dawgs shook off both a doubles deficit and their close-match blues by beating the Hens 5-4. I texted a friend after P-P took 2 out of 3 dubs “If Bickham pulls Yasgoor, this one’s coming down to the wire,” and that’s exactly what happened. I didn’t actually think the Dawgs would come out on top, but credit Lipscomb for putting his big losses to Whitman and Bowdoin behind him to come up with the clinching win for his team. If they had won the match against Bowdoin, they’d be in good shape. If there were 7 Pool C spots, they’d be in good shape. As it stands, they’re going to have to beat P-P again (presumably with Yasgoor next time) in order to make an argument for the post-season. If that’s going to happen, they’re gonna need to get things done in doubles. As a side note, this match illustrates once more just how much weaker P-P is without either Chuddy or Yaz in the lineup. P-P’s roster is basically two #1 singles players and nine #5 singles players at the moment.

April 11th – UW-W def. UT-T 5-4

This match illustrated how dependent the Pats are on their dubs. Wootton/Fischer is a very legitimate #1 team, and they have a couple great big-servers in the rest of the doubles lineup, but they’re a team that’s gonna have a hard time winning 4 singles matches off of any top 30 team.

April 11th – Chicago def. UT-T 7-2

More of the same. This match was over as soon as the Roons swept doubles, and the Pats got their two points in 10-pointers. It’s hard to blame fatigue when you lose in doubles, and Chicago was coming off an even more gut-wrenching loss than the Pats. Though I didn’t expect Tyler to win, I was a little disappointed by this result.

April 12th – Whitman def. Pacific 6-3

At one point in this match, the score was 3-3 and Pacific was up a break 3-2 in the 3rd at #1, up two breaks 4-1 in the 3rd at #3, and up a set and 6-5 (on serve) at #5. Malesovas sat in singles, and I very legitimately thought Whitman was going to lose. You know the rest. As great as it is to see the Whitman freshmen come of big in big moments, it’s not quite the same as doing it against a team like Kenyon or Bowdoin. The Squirrels have to buckle down for a spirited challenge from the Boxers at their conference tournament. Hopefully for them, Malesovas will be ready to go.

This Week In West

April 18 – Trinity (TX) @ UT-Tyler

The two Texas juggernauts renew their annual rivalry this weekend, and there’s not much to indicate that it will be more competitive than it was last year. I don’t think there’s much doubt as to who will win the team match, but my eyes will be focused on the #1 singles and doubles courts. After SBWW, I thought Tyler had probably earned their way into nationals by going undefeated that weekend. I thought that would be the case because the California teams usually beat up on each other. Unfortunately for the Pats, P-P, Redlands, and CMS have all been consistently great, leaving room for just one Texas team to make it to nationals (pending a loss to CLU or Whittier by one of those teams). Whoever wins #1 doubles here is probably going to nationals, and whoever loses is probably out. At #1 singles, Budd, who would be doing great nationals-wise if he were in the Central region with his wins over Humphreys, Carswell, and Skinner, has just one more chance to make his case for nationals in the West region with a win over Krull. Krull is a lock himself, but he’s not gonna go down easy.

Team-wise, TU is just too deep for the Pats, but I think Tyler will keep things interesting by winning at least one doubles match and picking off #4 and #6 singles, depending on whether or not Niess is in the lineup. 6-3 Trinity (w/o Neiss), 7-2 Trinity (w/ Neiss)

April 24-25 NWC Tournament and the Ojai

I’ll try my best to give the Ojai its own preview, and I’m gonna punt the NWC tournament to D3Regional next week. Looking forward to the Whitman/Pacific threematch with both teams at full strength, but the Boxers can’t look past the Bruins.

Where They Stand (All rankings based on the most recent regional rankings)

1. CMS

The Stags haven’t lost a regular season match in over three years, but they’re showing signs of vulnerability right now. Pomona-Pitzer made them think, and they lost to Azuza Pacific (by the same score as Amherst and Williams). I know comparative scores don’t count for much against DII teams, but the Jeffs seem to be really coming together, and that concerns me a little bit if I’m Coach Settles and I’m looking for my first national championship. Nevertheless, CMS is unbeaten and largely untested. Their lineup is rock solid with barely even hints of any weaknesses (maybe #3 doubles, maybe #5 singles), and they remain the favorite to finally win one for the West

2. Pomona-Pitzer

The Hens won’t be terribly bothered by their loss to Redlands given the fact that Yaz didn’t play in singles, and hopefully the loss will be a reality check for them. Despite their string of amazing victories (a string unlike any other I’ve seen in my many years following DIII tennis), they remain a clearly flawed team. Their doubles is fantastic, and they’re very strong at the bottom of the lineup (especially with Maassen playing so well), but they are very weak at #3 and #4 singles no matter who they put there. Moreover, as strong as Chuddy has been, they don’t have a guy that’s going to win 5 #1 singles matches in a row to get them through nationals. This loss serves as a reminder that they need to bring it in every single match.

3. Trinity (TX)

TU has been in their corner of Texas doing Trinity things. It’s easy to forget about them this time of year, but I must remind you how they tend to play better at the end of the season pretty much every single year. Niess being out against UTSA is a little worrisome because he’s one of the better doubles players around, and having him in singles allows Curtis to dominate at #5, but I trust they’re just resting him for the end of the year. Not much else to say about these guys until they play Tyler

4. Whitman

The Squirrels are currently ranked 4th in the reason, but I expect Redlands to leapfrog them on the strength of the P-P victory. If Malesovas is out for an extended period of time, that would be absolutely devastating for Whitman, as the freshies are still very much unproven. They also have the problem of not having a legitimate #3 doubles team, but I guess that’s what happens when you only have 3 upperclassmen on your roster. It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the Whits, but hopefully they get through next weekend and peak at the right time for nationals. I don’t have a ton of belief in them right now, but on the right day, I think they could take down some of the more vulnerable-appearing #1 seeds like Wash U, Emory, Bowdoin, or CMU.

5. Redlands

It was an undoubtedly great weekend for Redlands, but I fear that it was just too little, too late for them. With a win over Whittier (please don’t screw up that #1 doubles match, seniors), they will go into the SCIAC tournament as the #2 seed (how do you like that for P-P? #3 in the nation, but #3 in the SCIAC right now). They obviously need to focus all their energies on beating the Hens, because if they don’t, their season is over. Even if they don’t win that match, I have to say that this season can be considered a success. They won two close matches, one over an old rival after a string of tough losses, and they will likely get a two-senior doubles team into nationals. Not bad for the Dawgs.

6. UT-Tyler

The Pats obviously didn’t have the weekend that they wanted in St. Louis, but they can hold their heads high knowing that they can compete with a top 5 team on the right day. They just need to bring that same level of energy to avoid an upset in the conference tournament and hope for the best on Selection Monday. The most likely scenario has them playing Pomona-Pitzer in the California region, which I’m sure is a match they would love to have. Obviously, there are a ton of permutations available still. Regardless, I’ll be rooting for the Wootton/Fischer combo this weekend just for the pleasure of seeing an 74 yearold man make nationals.

7. UC Santa Cruz

The Slugs have traditionally treated the Ojai like their conference championship, which is why they used to perform so well there back in the day (I remember them getting 3 doubles teams in the semis one year). I’m sure they’re training like it is again this year, only their aspirations are probably slightly lower. Other than hoping for a miracle run at the Ojai (both for pride and individual qualifying’s sake), these guys are probably gearing up for a rematch with the Stags at natties: ot the brightest of prospects, I’m sure they would agree.

8. Cal Lutheran

It hasn’t exactly been a dream season for the Kingsmen. Treacy never played (potential Grayshirt next year?), Cardenas is a senior, and they got their best win (Brandeis) in February. Right now, Cardenas has to avoid a disaster at Ojai or in the conference tournament (against Thompson) to keep himself in the top 8 where he probably belongs, and the Kingmen need to gear up for a stiff challenge from the Panthers in the first round of the SCIAC tournament. Gennette needs some of his old recruiting magic to keep these guys competitive next year.

9. Chapman

The Panthers rode the strength of their 5-4 win over Rochester to a national ranking, and they have held onto it gamely with wins over George Fox and Whittier. Their top guys don’t really have the guns to make a run at the Ojai, but on a good day, they could potentially take out the Kingsmen, which they will probably get a shot to do at the SCIAC championship. A win there just might be enough to propel these guys into the top 30 (optimistically), which is something I never would’ve though possible at the beginning of the season.

10. Pacific

I already detailed how close the Boxers came to beating Whitman on the road on Sunday. They’ll have one more chance at the conference tournament (which would be the best time to beat them because they would get the Pool A bid), and I’m sure they’ll be fired up, but they can’t look past George Fox. Otherwise, none of their individual players are in contention for a nationals bid.

Singles (8 players qualify for nationals)

1. Warren Wood (CMS) – it has been another stellar year for the former 5-star. The loss to Chuddy might knock him off the top wrung for regional rankings, but he’s certainly in no danger of missing nationals.

2. Adam Krull (Trinity) – Krull would be the guy to take Wood’s place. His lone regional loss came to Cardenas and he finished 5th at Fall nationals. A great season for the transfer.

3. Skyler Butts (CMS) – Butts could actually make an argument for the top spot in the conference. He hasn’t lost a DIII match since losing the Granoff in the first match of the season, he’s beaten Yaz twice, and took out Cardenas in a 3-setter.

4. Cardenas (Cal Lu) – Cardenas has losses to Butts, Dancu, and now Lipscomb, but the wins over Hudson, Krull, and Littlejohn are getting some mileage for the grinder. This guy definitely deserves to go.

5. Malesovas (Whitman) – So far Malesovas has avoided the conference pitfalls that doomed him last year. He has wins over Lipscomb, Budd, and Littlejohn. His only regional loss came against Krull. He definitely deserves to go if he can get through the conference tournament unscathed.

6. Lipscomb (Redlands) – Lipscomb was riding the bubble until his back-to-back wins over Hudson and Cardenas. Pending a disaster against Farmer or Thompson, or something crazy at the Ojai, he’s a lock

7. Hudson (Pomona-Pitzer) – Despite his team’s tremendous season, Chuddy’s nationals bid was very much in contention until he beat Wood. All of his best wins were out-of-region until then, but this senior deserves to go to nationals. Put him in.

In my mind, these seven guys have all distinguished themselves from their peers and deserve to go to nationals pretty much no matter what happens the rest of the way. After these seven, there are three guys who all have good arguments for the last spot, but only one guy can get it.

8. Jake Yasgoor (Pomona-Pitzer) – Yaz has been fantastic, and he’s a very legitiate #1 singles player, but does he really deserve to go to nationals over these next guys? He has regional wins over Dancu and Skinner, but he was pulled for Cummins, and he should probably take the hit for that. A win over Cummins at SCIACs or a good run at the Ojai would change my mind.

9. Nik Marino (CMS) – On any other team, Marino would be a lock to go to nationals. He’s lost one DIII match at #3 (against Campbell), and he has a fall victory over Lipscomb to fall back on. He made to the semis of nationals last year, but with everybody’s #1 singles players playing so well this year, he needs a good Ojai showing to make it this year. If he makes it, he’ll do well.

10. Josh Dancu (Occidental) – I love to cheer for the little guy, so I’m gonna make the case for Dancu. The dude’s only regional losses are to Lipscomb and Yasgoor, and he has a win over Cardenas. Any other year, that gets him in the tournament, but this is an especially strong singles year for the West region. He’s probably not playing the Ojai so he has a chance against Wood this week and then Lipscomb (probably) again at the SCIAC. A win against either of them should get him in, and I’ll be rooting for him

Nobody else has a shot at making nationals except maybe Budd who needs a win over Krull and some help, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Doubles (4 teams qualify for nationals)

1. Dorn/Wood (CMS) – Have not lost a regional match with a whole bunch of good wins. Easy choice

2. Fischer/Wootton (Tyler) – Have not lost a regional match, but their best win came against Redlands (other wins against Whitman, Cruz, and the rest of their conference). They would put themselves in jeopardy of going out with a loss to Trinity.

3. Lipscomb/Cummins (Redlands) – These guys have now lost to Tyler, P-P, and CMS. I’m sure they will move to the precarious 4th position in the next regional ranking (depending on what happens at the Ojai). If they beat P-P’s team at the SCIAC’s they’re definitely in, but their position is far from solid

4. Chudalavada (P-P) – The Hen #1s are sitting at #4 in the rankings right now, but after their win over the Redlands team this weekend, they standing is slightly more secure. They also have a win over Trinity this season, but they’ve lost to CMS’ #1s twice. They made it to the finals of Fall Nationals. The way I see it, these guys deserve to go

5. Skinner/Mayer (Trinity) – The Tiger #1’s were moved to #5 in the regional rankings after losing to CLU, P-P, and Whitman in the same week, but we shouldn’t forget that won Fall Nationals (beating the P-P team in the process). They are in control of their own destiny, however, as they will get in with a win over Tyler. They will likely be snubbed with a loss. If the Tigers do win, things will get interesting between Tyler/Redlands, so it’s probably best for the Tyler boys to just win that match and keep things simple

The Hens did everybody a huge favor by beating CMS at #2, which will put to rest any brewing “CMS’ #2 team should go to nationals” discussion. I’m really not a fan of #2 doubles teams going to nationals. They just don’t face the same level of competition day in and day out, and the way Butts/Kotrappa lost twice in team competition before losing again in the first round of nationals sort of confirmed by bias last year (though they were still a great team).

That’s it! That’s pretty much everything you could hope to know about the West region right now. No telling how long it will be before I can do another one of these, but please put any questions you have in the comments or message me on Twitter (@d3_west) and I’ll be sure to answer them to the best of my ability!