REGIONAL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: 03/25-04/01
A-SOUTH
Player: Josh Powell
Team: Swarthmore
Results: 2-0 at #1 Doubles, 1-1 at #4 singles
Recap: While technically not under my jurisdiction, Josh Powell had a relatively solid weekend against Case Western and Kenyon, teaming with Mark Fallati to take down two solid #1 Central doubles teams. In singles, Powell took out Michael Liu of Kenyon in a tough battle in his second match of the day. Unfortunately, he ran into Sam Concannon of Case Western, who was able to take him out with ease. With not many of my teams playing more than one meaningful match last week, my POTW goes to Powell.
What’s next: Swat still has Wesleyan, UMW, and Hopkins in regular season battles to come.
Honorable Mention: Emory (Swept Hopkins), Levine/Downing (CMU)
Did you do anything special for Easter/Passover/your non-denominational weekend? Keep religion out of this, NE.
Are you rooting for Villanova or Michigan? – I’m rooting for Nova. I hate when poorly researched hot takes like “Michigan is really hot right now they won the Big 10 Tournament” brackets somehow work out despite Michigan’s offense being totally dysfunctional sometimes. Talk about an easy draw.
NewD3CENTRAL
Player: Arike Ogunbowale (Notre Dame) & Matthew Chen
Team: Case Western
Results: 2-0 at 3 Doubles, 1-1 at 2 Singles vs. Swarthmore and Amherst
Recap: Chen was instrumental in Case’s 6-3 win over Swarthmore – he helped keep them from a doubles sweep by pairing with Concannon to win at 3 doubles and then he was able to win quickly at 2 to set the tone for singles. Against Amherst, he and Concannon were able to collect another victory at three doubles but he couldn’t complete the four win weekend and fell in three tough sets to Hillis.
What’s next: Two weeks off and then a trip up to Kalamazoo to play: Wis. Eau-Claire, Rose-Hulman, and Kalamazoo
Honorable Mention: Austin Diehl (Kenyon), Shouta Fukamachi (OWU), Jonathan Powell (Case), Patrick McGuigan (Denison)
Did you do anything special for Easter/Passover/your non-denominational weekend?
Are you rooting for Villanova or Michigan? “He has an overdose of swag” – John Beilein #GoBlue
NE
Player: Sean Wei
Team: Amherst
Results: 2-0 at #1 singles, 2-0 at #1 doubles
Recap: Wei has quietly put together a really solid spring so far, and he added to it this weekend with wins over Fojtasek and Zalenski from Case Western and Kenyon. So far, the freshman’s only losses this spring are to Parodi and Levine, and last weeks’ rankings reflect that, landing Wei at #6 in the region. Wei also was undefeated in doubles this weekend, playing against successful doubles teams, and playing with a new partner. Props to the young Mammoth on a big week! He will either solidify his shot at NCAAs or fall into the grey area depending on his results against Rosen and Urken/Tercek next weekend.
What’s next: A road trip through scenic Maine. The Mammoths enter hostile territory next weekend where they will take on Bates and Bowdoin.
Honorable Mention: Arturo Kam (Williams), Alex Taylor (Williams), Jayson Fung (Amherst)
Did you do anything special for Easter/Passover/your non-denominational weekend? Does watching college basketball count? What about women’s college basketball? Those games were special.
Are you rooting for Villanova or Michigan? If Villanova wins, I will win the Blog bracket pool. Cash rules everything around me.
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Player: Julian Gordy
Team: CMS
Results: 3-0 at #4 singles, 2-1 at #1 doubles
Recap: Gordy had a very successful past week, going 5-1 in both singles and doubles against top competition. He has been as clutch as one can come in singles, winning two of his three singles matches either 7-5/7-6 in the third and the other win coming in the form of a super TB. Gordy has been a very underestimated, yet an extremely integral part of the CMS doubles lineup. I used to see Gordy as more of a doubles specialist, but to see him coming out victorious in these huge matches against some of the top teams in the country shows me he’s the whole package.
What’s next: After a statement win against Midd (who sweeps Midd in singles nowadays?!), CMS finishes their season with matches against fellow SCIAC teams. No, no one in SCIAC will beat them this year, and yes, CMS will be in nationals and fight for a championship on their courts this coming May.
Honorable Mention: Josh Gearou (PP), Wilson Hamilton (Trinity(TX)),
Did you do anything special for Easter/Passover/your non-denominational weekend? Passover at my aunts. Just another year where I’m in line for the four questions, my youngest-of-the-family, fellow Jews know what I’m talking about!
Are you rooting for Villanova or Michigan? Villanova. So many of my friends go to Michigan and they all annoy me. Sorry, not sorry.
REGIONAL
Player: Scott Altmeyer
Team: Colby College
Results: 7-0 at #1 singles and #1 doubles during Colby’s spring break trip to Texas
Recap: Colby wrapped up their Texas spring break trip on Saturday, and sophomore Scott Altmeyer had a huge impact, going undefeated on the trip in both singles and doubles. Colby started off with matches against Austin College and Texas Lutheran, both of which they won relatively easily. After an unfortunate cancellation against Southwestern (which I’m sure would have been a great match), Colby took out Pacific University 5-4, with Altmeyer taking out Oscar Wight of the Boxers. Altmeyer and freshman Sumukh Pathi also won a crucial doubles match at #1, winning 9-7 to tip the scales in the Mules favor. Colby closed out their spring break with a tough 5-4 loss to Texas-Tyler. Altmeyer and Pathi won 8-2 at #1 doubles, but the Mules fell at #2 and #3. In singles, Altmeyer had a terrific 2 and 2 win over Arthur Fagundes, but UT-Tyler was able to split the singles and grab the 5-4 win, much like the Pacific match from a day prior. Despite this loss, Coach Cohen has to have loved the results he got at the top of his lineup, as Pathi also won against both Pacific and UT-Tyler. The next coming of Reid / Murad?!
What’s next: Colby gets into its NESCAC schedule this weekend with a home match against Trinity (CT). They will host Connecticut College the following weekend and also travel to Babson in what should be a nice regional match.
Honorable Mention: Myself – for my detective work in finding all of the results of Colby’s spring break. Also Chad Stone – UCSC
Did you do anything special for Easter/Passover/your non-denominational weekend? I drank some Manischewitz wine for the first time in probably ten years and it was just as bad as it was at my Bar Mitzvah. Also cooked up a storm Friday night – two types of kugel, matzo ball soup, homemade macaroons, etc. I’m craving some pasta though
Are you rooting for Villanova or Michigan? Stopped paying attention when Duke lost and I got knocked out of the blogger pool. I like Nova Nation though.
REGIONAL AS
Player: Phil Lauture
Team: Rhodes
Results: 5-0 at 3rd doubles and 4th/5th singles against Bethel, Berry and Oglethorpe
Recap: The sophomore had himself a pretty good showing this past week against a couple of dangerous regional ASouth teams. Lauture has been bouncing around the 3, 4 and 5 spots this season, but pretty much wherever he’s been, he’s won. A former four star tennisrecruting.net recruit, Lauture is obviously a very talented player and could develop into a strong 1 or 2 in the SAA in the next couple of years after gaining some confidence at the 3-5 spots his first couple of seasons. He currently boasts the team’s second highest UTR and his results show it. If Rhodes wants to threaten Millsaps and Sewanee, this young man will be a key part of it.
What’s next: The Lynx will take on the Centre College Colonels who gave Millsaps a 5-4 scare last week.
Honorable Mention: Ritwik Chatterjee (could’ve been co-PotW), Alex Centurion, Andres Carro
Did you do anything special for Easter/Passover/your non-denominational weekend? Bougie AF Brunch. Dilly dilly.
Are you rooting for Villanova or Michigan? Sister Jean.
REGIONAL NE/C
Player: Minos Stavrakas
Team: Ithaca
Results: Wins at #1 singles and #2 doubles vs Vassar
Recap: Ithaca had a somewhat surprising win over Vassar on Saturday, and Minos played a big part in it. An 8-2 win at #2 doubles alongside Colton Lavery helped to keep Ithaca in the match despite dropping the other two doubles matches, and then in singles, Minos scored a three set win at #1 over David Gandham to help the Bombers get the four singles matches they needed for the win. On Twitter, Ithaca said that it was actually Sam McGrath at #2 who won the last match on to give IC the 5-4 win, but in the game recap it has Minos as being the last match to finish. Regardless, POTW goes to the man from Athens for winning both singles and doubles. The victory should put Ithaca into the #4 seed at the Liberty League tournament, but it’s more than likely that these two teams will face off in the 4/5 match regardless of who is seeded higher. Hopefully we’ll have another great battle next time around.
What’s next: A trip down to the Garden State to take on TCNJ next weekend. Later on in April Ithaca faces all three bottom NESCAC bottom teams in Hamilton, Trinity, and Conn College. As I tweeted this past weekend, that trio is improving and it should be a great opportunity for Ithaca to see where they’re at and possibly sneak into the top 20.
Honorable Mention: J. Aguirre Martinez (Wheaton MA), Scott Altmeyer (Colby), Sam McGrath (Ithaca)
Did you do anything special for Easter/Passover/your non-denominational weekend? Beach and BBQ! Made even more enjoyable by friends sending me photos of the snow in the Northeast.
Are you rooting for Villanova or Michigan? Villanova