Men’s tennis was defeated for only the second time this semester on Monday, wrapping up its fall season with a 9-0 home loss to Amherst. The Cards have struggled against NESCAC rivals while surging against non-conference teams throughout their fall season. The final score of the fall finale, however, failed to reflect the level of skill seen within the team this semester, with many of the men playing the best tennis of their Wesleyan careers.
“The fall season was a great indication of how deep our team is, and shows us that we can battle with teams, such as Amherst, which have high national rankings,” said Alejandro Alvarado ’09.
Alvarado was the only Cardinal who won a set on Monday, prevailing 7-5 in the first frame before his opponent came back to win the three-set, three-hour match.
The experience that Alvarado discussed, combined with the strong senior leadership of the team, leaves the Cards poised for a successful spring campaign. Captain Matt O’Connell ’09 is one of five seniors on the team, all of whom are consistent contributors in both individuals and doubles play.
Graham Immerman ’09, Paul Gerdes ’09, Jaafar Rizvi ’09, O’Connell and Alvarado provide seasoned experience to a team made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores. Some of the newcomers, however, are making names for tgemselves. Michael Piderit ’12 has infiltrated the starting six in both individuals and doubles. The pairs Monday of Rizvi/O’Connell, Immerman/Piderit, and Gerdes/Matt Buckley ’12 have also been fairly constant, with Robert Troyer ’12 also teaming up with Gerdes in previous matches.
The battle against Amherst may have ended unfavorably, but Immerman added that the experiences gained only confirms the success of this fall season.
“It’s in these times that a team becomes more than just a group of individuals but a winning unit,” Immerman said. “We ran into a very strong opponent, and while I know each of us could have won our matches, I believe our phenomenal effort demonstrated pride for our school and for ourselves on the courts that day.”
The fall season started off slow with a loss to Williams, but the Cards soon hit their stride and never looked back. They won five straight against Coast Guard, Union, Babson, Colby-Sawyer and Bridgewater State, ending with a 5-2 record. While this non-NESCAC play helps build confidence, it is not as challenging as competing against teams within NESCAS tennis: the most competitive in all of Division III.
Looking ahead, Immerman stressed the elements of their play that the team can work to improve upon, even if the exact playing schedule is not yet known.
“While we, as players, might not be able to control the schedule, the one thing we have complete control over is our work ethic and our support of our teammates,” Immerman said. “I believe that these things will lead us to success a ways down the road.”
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