Miss us already? We’re back to give you a Day 2 Preview of #IndoorsWeek, where hopefully I will catch up to the bumbling D3NE in the DraftKings standings. While that’s probably not likely, as we saw today… ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!! I’m looking forward to waking up in 9 hours to watch Division III players battle it out on a computer screen. That’s what I’m paid to do. As we did for Day 1 of the tournament, we will be going match by match and giving our thoughts on Day 2, which should be even more fun than Day 1. Onto the semifinals we go. By the way, if you want to check out the DraftKings standings, click on the link that says DraftKings Standings to the left of your page. Nope, not there, just a little bit farther up…. okay, you got it. Shoutout to my excel skills for making a dynamic live scoring sheet.
SEMIFINALS
#8 Case Western vs. #4 Chicago
D3Greek: Case had “that” win against Wash U. “That” refers to the match that defines a season. Why does this matter? Because, typically after “that” wins, teams are so physically and mentally drained that they have nothing left in the tank for their next match. However, Case is a team that plays with a lot of energy, and I can’t emphasize enough how big it is that they are playing in front of the home crowd. Thus, even though the bloggers unanimously predict Chicago to overtake the Spartans, it might be closer than expected. Let’s break it down:
#1 Doubles: CJ Krimbill/Louis Stuerke vs. Nick Chua/David Liu – The rematch of the ITA Regional final should be a good. In the fall, the Chicago pair took out the Spartans 6-2, 6-4. While the Maroons don’t have the biggest serves, their returns are rock solid. On the other side, CJ Krimbill has a monster serve. This is going to be close. I’ll go with Case 9-8.
#2 Doubles: Adam Collins/Freddy Daum vs. Peter Leung/Charlie Pei – Collins and Daum are 0-2 to start off the season while Leung and Pei are 5-0 against DIII opponents. Interestingly, when Pei was alongside Max Liu in the fall, Chicago beat the same Case pair 8-3. Collins and Daum put up a good fight today, but I don’t see them handing the Maroons a loss. Chicago 8-4.
#3 Doubles:James Fojtasek/Phil Gruber vs. Sven Kranz/Gordon Zhang – The No. 3 Chicago pair was dealt its first loss of the season after winning its previous four matches routinely. Meanwhile, Fojtasek and Gruber had a critical win against Wash U. Though they’ve only played with each other twice, the Case duo is 2-0. I see this as a toss up right now. Kranz and Zhang have the leadership/experience on their side while Fojtasek and Gruber have the crowd. Chicago 8-6.
#1 Singles: CJ Krimbill vs. Nick Chua – Krimbill got the best of Chua both times the two met last season. On the indoor courts in Cleveland, the Spartan won 6-3, 6-2 and on the outdoor courts in Florida, he claimed a 7-5, 6-2 victory. This lefty matchup of premier No. 1 players is bound to be close, but can Chua take it to Krimbill after that long and draining three-setter today? While it is a new season, I’m taking Krimbill 7-5, 7-5.
#2 Singles: James Fojtasek vs. Sven Kranz – These two juniors already played each other twice in the fall and Kranz won in straights both times. However, both had tough showings in the first round. Fojtasek lost six straight games in the second set en route to a 6-4, 6-3 defeat while Kranz fell 6-4, 6-1. Will the third time against Kranz be the charm for Fojtasek? I’m going with history. Kranz 6-4, 6-4.
#3 Singles: Robert Stroup vs. Charlie Pei – Ah, an all-freshman clash! Stroup is coming off a gritty 3-set win over the accomplished Tyler Kratky, while Pei had a straight set win. When the bloggers talk about the top freshmen in DIII, they always mention Emory’s Jonathan Jemison. But, these two guys deserve credit. Pei’s only loss against a DIII opponent has been to CJ Krimbill (in a third set tiebreak). Stroup, however, does have a few more losses. Pei should come out on top. Pei 6-2, 6-3.
#4 Singles: Louis Stuerke vs. Peter Leung – Despite playing a former No. 1 player, Stuerke’s 6-1, 6-0 loss to John Carswell leaves me slightly concerned. On top of that, Leung defeated Stuerke 6-3, 6-3 at UAAs last year. The Maroon is coming off a 6-2, 6-2 win over the highly-touted Matt Tyer, and looks to be in midseason form. I’m going with the big hitter. Leung 6-4, 6-3.
#5 Singles: Kevin Dong vs. David Liu – If the Spartans want any chance at an upset, they’re going to have to take the No. 5 and 6 spots. Dong came up big today for Case against Jake Klein, but David Liu has the big match experience. Liu must be pretty pumped up after his big come from behind win (he was down 6-3, 4-1). He’s also got experience playing in and winning important matches. With that, I’m giving the edge to the Maroon 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
#6 Singles: Joshua Dughi vs. Max Liu – Dughi and Liu have polar opposite playing styles. While Dughi is like a backboard, getting everything he can into the court, Liu absolutely destroys the ball. Liu’s problem today was too many unforced errors. Still, it was his first big collegiate match, and he pulled out the victory. Meanwhile, Dughi clinched the upset for Case against Wash U. This one is definitely going to be a roller coaster ride. I think the freshman will settle down and hit more winners. Liu 7-5, 7-5.
OTHER PICKS!
D3AS: Chicago def Case 6-3, half of me wants to pick Case because COACH TODD but I just can’t
D3Central: Chicago def. Case 6-3
D3NE: Chicago def. Case 7-2
D3West: Chicago def. Case 6-3
D3Regional: Chicago def. Case 6-3
D3Greek: Chicago def. Case 7-2
#3 Emory vs. #7 CMU
D3AS:
Ah, this is my match. All I wanted from Indoors was a battle of my two teams in the semifinals and I got just that. I’ll go through the match by match preview in a bit, but what I do want to say is this. Emory is going to be a different type of beast for CMU to conquer. I think today, Pomona was not ready for what they thought was going to be a regular match. CMU brought volume and they brought fire from the start which caught the Hens off guard. Emory will not be put on their heels. To win this match, CMU has to straight up beat the Eagles at their own game. This is going to be a true test for a team that wants to be mentioned with the top teams in the business. From an Emory perspective, they cannot overlook the Tartans right now. They are probably revelling in the fact that Wash U was taken out first round, but the Eagles have a team with a lot of confidence coming in on the other side of the court. This will be the match of the day in my opinion, so let’s get to the match by match.
#1 Doubles – Rubinstein/Spaulding (EU) vs. Levine/Arora (CMU) – This is going to be a fine match from two teams that I didn’t expect much of going into this tournament. Levine/Arora were a revelation today at #1 doubles, spanking returns and baseline shots past the Pomona #1 team. Arora also has surprisingly nifty hands at the net and great touch on lobs. He’s going to have a fine career if he keeps that up. For Emory, the Rubinstein/Spaulding combo marks a true doubles specialist combo that brings a lot of firepower to the court. They took out Kenyon’s strongest team in Geier/Kaye, which is a big win. With the way the CMU team played today, I’m going with them. CMU 8-6
#2 Doubles – Mosetick/Jemison (EU) vs. Chen/Zheng (CMU) – Mosetick and Jemison are just a great #2 team. They made quick work today of Kenyon simply by being better across the board. Jemison flies around the net despite being a freshman and isn’t scared to take chances. Mosetick is well, Mosetick. Solid all around and won’t make the stupid error. On the CMU side, we’re talking a relatively inexperienced team in Chen/Zheng that hasn’t played much together. CMU had a chance to sweep today and missed an opportunity, but I don’t think they are strong enough to take out the two big guns of Emory. EU 8-4
#3 Doubles – Omsky/Harrington (EU) vs. Alla/Kumar (CMU) – Somehow today as D3West mentioned, Shek was not broken in doubles. I simply do not know how that is possible, but it happened. Omsky and Harrington are a team I unfortunately didn’t get to see on the live stream because I was marveling at the play of Jemison as well as Chicago, so I don’t really know how they play together. Omsky brings out some good doubles play and in my mind, Emory has the stronger team here. But, Kumar and Alla play a strange game and that could throw the Eagles off especially indoors. This is a toss-up and a turning point match for both teams. I’m taking the favorites. EU 9-7
#1 Singles – Mosetick (EU) vs. Alla (CMU) – This match is going to be way closer than any of you think it’s going to be. Alla remains a mystery despite being a senior. Like I mentioned in the recap, Shek is someone who when he’s playing bad, he’s playing really god damn bad. Today was not a good indicator of his talent and his playing level. While it is a shame that it happened on the national stage, he has a chance to redeem himself against one of the best. It will be interesting to see if he comes out confident. If today affected him, Mosetick will win this easy. I don’t think that’s the case. While I won’t go against Rafe in this tournament because I love his fight, this one will NOT be a walkover. It will not be. Rafe will outlast Shek in a close battle. Emory 7-6, 6-4
#2 Singles – Jemison (EU) vs. Levine (CMU) – Freshman vs. freshman in what will be another incredible match at #2 singles. Jemison had an easy one today as he simply was a better grinder than Michael Liu, but now he will play a big-hitting freshman in Levine. If CMU is to win this match, they have to take 1 of the top 2 spots in an upset. I think Alla has the better chance but it looks like I questioned Levine a bit too much going into this tournament. This is going to be such a good match and one that I’m personally putting up on my livestream. I think Levine has to outhit Jemison or he will just get grinded into dust. While he’ll streak for a few games, Jemison comes out on top. Emory 6-4, 7-5
#3 Singles – Manji (EU) vs. Zheng (CMU) – Both these guys went 3 sets today, Zheng just did it later in the day and had to play a full one. Hopefully that doesn’t have an effect on this match which I don’t think it will. Manji and Zheng are almost exactly the same level of play so this will be another match to keep an eye on. Zheng has been in countless big matches and I am slowly warming up to the fact that he can perform well in the clutch. Today was a big step for him and I think he comes out on top for this match. CMU 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
#4 Singles – Bouchet (EU) vs. Arora (CMU) – An unfortunate fact about today’s live streaming was that I didn’t get to see any #4 singles matches! And of course, Emory and CMU #4 singles players are two guys that I do not know! I got to see a lot of Arora today and he was playing lights out but I am totally not sure if he plays like this everyday. If he does, CMU found a freaking gem. I’m going to go with the hot hand because I wasn’t impressed by Bouchet’s result today against Paloucci. CMU 6-3, 6-3
#5 Singles – Goodman (EU) vs. Kirkov (CMU) – Two guys that are going in the opposite directions. Goodman is a rock at #5 and he takes it to you if you have any lack of confidence. Enter Kirkov, who is lacking confidence at this time. Previously a strong #2-3 singles player, Kirkov simply has not been the same even since last year. He was heavily favored today in a match against Mandic, but came out flat and lost the first 6-1. While showing signs of life, he still ended up down 1 and 3. Meanwhile, Goodman made quick work of Kaye of Kenyon and continued the success he saw in 2015. Until Kirkov shows me he is back to form, I’m going to go against him. Emory 6-2, 6-4
#6 Singles – Harrington (EU) vs. Downing(CMU) – Here is where CMU will really miss Kunal Wadwani. They missed him today, because Wadwani wasn’t going to lose today’s match. CMU is throwing out an inexperienced freshman who hits a big ball but needs to figure out how to make adjustments in the middle of a college match. Harrington is the real deal and a great transfer with big match experience. Downing could reel off a few quick games in a row, but I don’t think Downing has the guts to run through two sets. This is an opportunity match for CMU if they had Kunal down there, but they don’t. Gotta go with the experience. Emory 6-1, 7-5.
Quick Recap – If CMU wants to take this match, they need the doubles once again. They can pull off upsets at the top or bottom of the lineup, but without a lead, they’d need two of em. I think they are favorites in two matches, but overall, they need to put together 5 great matches. You know, what I’ve always said about them. They did it today, but again, Emory is different. It would be amazing if the Tartans pulled it off, but Emory is legit. #FIGHT
OTHER PICKS!
D3AS: Emory def. CMU 6-3.
D3Central: Emory def. CMU 7-2
D3NE: Emory def. CMU 6-3
D3West: Emory def. CMU 5-4
D3Regional: Emory def. CMU 5-4
D3Greek: Emory def. CMU 5-4
BACKDRAW
#1 Wash U vs. #5 Trinity Tx
D3West: I’m going to have a pretty hard time previewing this match because I didn’t watch a lick of the Wash U/Case match (was too busy watching P-P/CMU), but I’ll do my best. Here we’ve got the last two Indoors champions coming off disappointing first round losses, but one team’s loss was a little bit more shocking than the others. I’m going to keep this intro part short and get to the nitty-gritty.
#1 Dubs: Cogan/Kratky vs. Krull/Tyer – D3AS will disagree, but I actually think that Krull/Tyer looked pretty good this morning; it was just a matter of their opponent playing a lot better. Once Tyer adjusts to the pace of the courts and they start using their serves more effectively, I think they’ll be just fine. I’m going with Trinity 8-6.
#2 Dubs: Kozlowski/Bush vs. Deuel/Niess – I got to watch Bush and Kozlowski grit out a tough doubles win over a good Case team. I also saw Deuel and Niess look completely out of sorts in their doubles match this morning. Their first serve percentage was probably about 40% and they went 0-8 or something on break points (great serves from Pei notwithstanding). Let’s go with Kozlowski/Bush 9-7.
#3 Dubs: Berman/Vish vs. Lambeth/Guin – Lambeth and Guin are two big servers who took advantage of the fast indoor courts in a clean win this morning. I think they’ll do the same tomorrow. 8-4 Trinity.
#1 Singles: Bush vs. Deuel – Bush might actually have the advantage in this match, as he didn’t spend a whole lot of time on the court this morning compared to Deuel’s grind of a match against Chua. Both are very solid players, but I think Deuel’s experience at #1 will pull him through in three close sets.
#2 Singles: Wu vs. Krull – Wu is a great player with fast feet, but Krull looked absolutely silky today, creating angles where none existed. I’m going with him until he loses a match. Krull in straights.
#3 Singles: Kratky vs. Lambeth – Lambeth looked great for a set this morning, but he kind of mailed it in at the end of the match, electing for high-risk, low-reward shots, as freshmen are sometimes known to do. Kratky is an experienced guy, but he took a tough loss today, and he’s probably not in great shape physically. I’m going to take Kratky in two close sets here.
#4 Singles: Carswell vs. Tyer – Carswell is the clear favorite here after an impressive performance today. Tyer is more of a doubles player than a singles guy, and I think he’ll go down in straights.
#5 Singles: Klein vs. Mayer – Mayer took a tough loss today, but he did better than many expected him to. Klein, however, did not do as well as people expected when he got absolutely blitzed by Dong. I think Mayer will recover from his disappointing finish for a straight sets win tomorrow morning.
#6 Singles: Kozlowski vs. Niess – I wouldn’t be surprised to see Follmer go with Kozlowski here tomorrow after a disappointing match from Berman today. I only saw him play in doubles, but he looks pretty solid to me. Niess played a great match today, and I think he’ll be gassed against a fresh opponent and lose in two close sets.
OTHER PICKS!
D3AS: Trinity TX def. Wash U 5-4
D3Central: Trinity Tx def. Wash U 7-2
D3NE: Trinity Tx def. Wash U 5-4
D3West: Trinity TX def. Wash U 5-4
D3Regional: Trinity TX def. Wash U 5-4
D3Greek: Trinity TX def. Wash U 6-3
#2 PP vs. #6 Kenyon
D3Regional: Kenyon lost routinely to Emory this morning, and PP is worn out after a grueling 5-4 loss to the Tartans. Will PP have another letdown against Kenyon, or will they come in motivated? Kenyon is good enough in enough spots to beat the Hens, but the Hens are deep and solid just about everywhere. Let’s break this down match by match:
#1 dubs: Kim/Maassen vs. Geier/Kaye – PP did not play well against CMU today at #1 doubles, but Levine/Arora played absolutely fantastic. Geier and Kaye played the closest doubles match for Kenyon but fell 8-6 to Emory. Geier is hitting huge and I think Kenyon will tough this one out, with Geier playing a similar to role to what Arora accomplished today. It will be close though, Kenyon 9-7.
#2 dubs: Mandic/Simonides vs. Paolucci/Hazlett – Mandic/Simonides gutted out a really close match against CMU today, while Paolucci/Hazlett lost 8-1 to Rafe and Jemison. That’s a tough Emory team, but this is a tough PP team. I think PP keeps it going at this spot with an 8-4 win.
#3 dubs: Bello/Yasgoor vs. Roberts/Turlington – Bello/Yasgoor lost a close one to CMU today while Roberts/Turlington lost routinely, 8-3 to Emory. I think Bello/Yasgoor come into this match angry about the loss yesterday, and play a great match. I’ll go PP 8-4 to give the Hens the 2-1 lead after doubles.
#1 singles: Yasgoor vs. Geier: – Yasgoor played a terrific match against Alla today, winning 0 and 0 in about 45 mins, refusing to let Alla get settled in the match. Geier is just on a roll right now in singles, so this sets up to be a great match. Yasgoor obviously couldn’t have played much better today, but Geier just rolled through Rafe today, which I find even more impressive than an 0 and 0 win over Shek. I think Geier wins in two close sets, 5 and 4. Can’t wait to watch this one.
#2 singles: Maassen vs. Liu – Maassen lost a really good match to Levine today, and while Liu is having a good year so far, I think this is a weak spot in Kenyon’s lineup especially their top 4. Liu can make it close, but I like Maassen to grind it out, 7-6, 6-2.
#3 singles: Kim vs. Turlington – This match has potential to be the best one of the match. Kim played a good match against Zheng today, but just couldn’t hold serve when he needed to at the end. Turlington lost a tight super to Manji. I think this one goes three sets once again, with Turlington getting the win, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4. I hope I’m wrong though, I have Kim on my Draft Kings team!
#4 singles: Bello vs. Paolucci: You can basically just take the above description and paste it in here. PP’s lineup is pretty even throughout, but 3 and 4 are big spots for Kenyon. This one will be close, and I will take Bello to rebound, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
#5 singles: Mandic vs. Kaye: Here is where PP has a big advantage in the lineup. The sophomore Mandic had a terrific 1 and 3 win over Kiril Kirkov today whle Kaye lost 0 and 2 to Josh Goodman. I think Mandic rolls, 6-3 6-2.
#6 singles: Gearou vs. Roberts: I think this one will be a little closer than #5, as Gearou will likely be a little worn out after the 6 and 6 win over Chaz Downing. Gearou grinded/moonballed well today, and I see him doing the same tomorrow. Gearou 6-4 6-4.
That’s right folks, I’m picking a 6-3 win for the Hens, as I see the Hens coming out tomorrow morning with great energy.
OTHER PICKS!
D3AS: PP def. Kenyon 8-1
D3Central: PP def. Kenyon 6-3
D3NE: PP def. Kenyon 7-2
D3West: PP def. Kenyon 6-3
D3Regional: PP def. Kenyon 6-3
D3Greek: PP def. Kenyon 6-3
Whew! Another day, another set of previews. I’m sleepy and have to wake up in 9 hours to give you live stats. Blog Team, OUT.