Women
The women were in action on Saturday against Bates, and they sustained the form that has allowed them to compile an overwhelming 10-0 record thus far. Their win on Saturday was swift and straightforward, as the Jeffs did not drop a set on the day. In fact, the total ratio of games won/lost was 93-21. In the doubles matches, the teams won 8-1, 8-2 and 8-2, while in singles, the Jeffs’ varsity squad dismantled the Camels.
The following day, the top-ranked women were again in action, this time against No. 11 Bowdoin. In their previous eight matches, the women had not lost more than one match per competition, and these games saw the continuation of that trend. The women simply ran through doubles, losing only six games in three, while in singles they were nearly as dominant, only losing one match at the number four position.
This weekend, the women will face the ultimate test as they are scheduled to play home matches Saturday against Hamilton College and then Sunday against No. 2 Williams, who they beat 6-3 last October. But every match is different, so they’ll have to be prepared. “I think our doubles teams are looking good heading into the big match this weekend against Williams,” said first-year Priyanka Kumar.
Standing with confidence atop the Div. III rankings, the women are poised to make a second run at the national title. First, however, comes the challenge within the conference. Over the next three weeks, they will play five home games to finish their schedule. Most notably, on April 18, the Ephs are coming to town.
Men
Last Thursday, the men played at home against Connecticut and Wesleyan. The Jeffs did not disappoint on their home turf as they easily overpowered their fellow NESCAC schools, only losing a single match on the day.
Against Connecticut, the Amherst men played well from start to finish, losing only one close match at No. 2 doubles, 9-7. They won their two doubles matches 8-5 and 8-3 and won all six singles matches without dropping a set. Particularly impressive were Mark Kahan ’13, Moritz Koenig ’11 and Scott London ’10, each of whom easily won his singles match. Kahan, playing at No. 1 for the day, won his match 6-1, 6-0. Koenig won his match by the same score, while London topped even that, winning 6-0, 6-0.
Against the Cardinals, the men had to work a little harder to secure a few of their wins, but by day’s end, they had not dropped a single match. After decisively winning the three doubles matches, a few of the Jeffs found themselves in long, grueling exchanges, as the Cardinals fought with all they had in a attempt to crawl back into the match. At No. 1, Austin Chafetz ’12 lost the second set 6-1, but won the other two 7-5 and 6-0 to secure a win, while Wes Waterman ’12 and Alex Kaufman ’10 both had to dig deep to escape from long tiebreak sets.
The next day, the No. 9 men traveled to play No. 13 Bowdoin. Predicted to be a close match, it all but came down to the wire. After the team of Robby Sorrel ’12 and Chafetz won a tight match at No. 1 doubles 8-6, Kahan and Koenig fell by the same score to Bowdoin’s No. 2 squad. The Jeffs, however, won the third doubles match handily, 8-3, carrying a 2-1 advantage over the Polar Bears.
This advantage proved to be the key. Chafetz fell in the No.1 singles slot in three close sets, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, which tied the competition up. However, Kahan and Koenig followed with a pair of matches won in straight sets. Afterwards, Waterman fell in a very tight match, 6-4, 7-6(6) at No. 3, but junior Priit Gross clinched the victory for the Jeffs immediately afterwards by winning at No.5, 7-5, 6-1.
The last day of their trip saw the men travel to take on Bates. Perhaps it was newfound confidence from their hard-fought victory over Bowdoin, but the Jeffs showed up energized, producing an 8-1 rout. Chafetz overcame whatever frustration he felt against Bowdoin’s No. 1 and won his match without dropping a single game. Afterwards, Kahan won a three-set match, which, since Amherst had already won all three doubles matches, clinched the victory.
“This weekend we took advantage of the opportunity to further solidify our position as a top-10 team in the country,” said Koenig. “However, we still have a lot to prove as we are just coming together as a team. The biggest tests are lying ahead of us, since we will be taking on Williams and Middlebury in the coming weeks.”
All in all, the men improved to 18-7 on the season, and are enjoying a six-match win streak.