Sunday marked the sixth opportunity of the spring season for Wesleyan to snatch that elusive first conference victory. Though the past five attempts had ended in defeat, that day’s match versus Hamilton proved that it was only a matter of time before the Cards would triumph in the NESCAC.
In spite of the team’s 12-5 overall record going into Hamilton, the Cardinals were coming fresh off the hands of a 0-9 thrashing courtesy of Trinity College. However, some highlights from the defeat set the stage for success against the Continentals. The #2 seed Stephen Monk ’15 took his opponent to 11 games in a super-ten tiebreaker to decide split sets, and the #1 seed Jeff Legunn ’13 returned from a knee injury sustained against Bates. While Wesleyan recorded no victory on the day, the return of Legunn and continued improvement of fill-in #1 Monk proved major factors in Wesleyan’s victory one week later.
Sunday was the first opportunity to see a healthy, improved lineup; it proved to be everything one could have hoped for. The Cardinals recorded an emphatic 7-1 victory over Hamilton and in the process tied the program record for most wins in a season. The mark dates back to the 2002, when the squad posted a 13-7 record. With two matches remaining in this year’s campaign, the Cardinals hope to earn a spot in Wesleyan’s tennis history with a 14th win.
On Sunday, top-seeded Legunn and now-second seed Monk continued to headline the top performers. Legunn managed to regroup after dropping a first set and eventually prevailed 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Monk won in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, which proved his worth in a number-two spot that had not recorded a victory since Florida. Donald Kleckner ’13 also contributed with a three-set victory over his opponent in #4 singles as well as combining with Legunn to win their #1 doubles match 9-7.
“We came, we saw. we conquered,” quipped Michael Glen ’13.
Though he may be treading on the side of hyperbole, the jubilant sentiments do not go unnoticed. The tennis team is happy to have recorded a NESCAC victory before its next match against Connecticut College. With 10 victories in the last 11 years versus Connecticut College, the Cardinals are optimistic they can grab another NESCAC win.
The match versus Connecticut College is on the road at 3:30 p.m on Wednesday, April 25. With two contests remaining in the regular season, the tennis team hopes it can build on its victory over Hamilton in order to reach record-breaking levels.