Sports
Men’s tennis looks to end season on a high note
By Jack Vissicchio ’17
April 24, 2015
The men’s tennis team looks to send off their seniors, Matt Billet and James Oliver with a bang this week, finishing their season against Hobart, Wesleyan and Connecticut College. After the season, Oliver will be heading to Case Western Law School next fall while Billet will be heading off to an analyst position at KPMG.
The men suffered tough defeats this season at the hands of rivals RPI, Colby and St. Lawrence University. Each match was a hard fought battle that could have swung either way, hinging on a handful of tough tiebreak losses. Although the team currently lacks a victory in conference play, the season has not been without many highlights. Oliver and Jon Cohen ’17, at first and fourth singles respectively, both were able to win straight-set singles matches against a top-ten Middlebury team.
Eyad Nagori ’18 highlighted his impressive first-year campaign with a convincing singles victory against Bowdoin College the following week. The team was also able to earn victories against solid Union and SUNY Oneonta squads. Alex Streich ’18 has also played a valuable role as a versatile player in singles and doubles this year.
Cohen has been fantastic this season for the men, consistently battling and surprising top opponents. Although small in stature, Cohen uses his speed and mental toughness to out-grind his opponents. The highlight of his season came last weekend, as he was forced to play up in the lineup at No. 2 singles against a highly regarded RPI team. Cohen calmly dismantled his opponent 6-3 6-1, using his composure and speed.
Max Mckee-Proctor ’17 has also been a huge part of the men’s team this season. He was thrown into the fire this season at No. 3 singles and has performed very admirably. After not playing in the singles lineup last season, Procter worked hard on his game over the summer, coming back with improved groundstrokes and volleys. Utilizing his large 6-5 frame he has developed one of the fastest and heaviest serves in the NESCAC.
Procter has also combined with Austin Lokre ’16 to lead the way for the Continental men at first doubles. Coming off a record season last season, the doubles duo has lived up to their high expectations, as they have played well throughout the season and provided a lot of motivational energy on the court.
Overall, it has been a tumultuous season for the men’s team as they have had to deal with the combination of a difficult schedule and injuries to their top returning singles players from last year. Ian Antonoff ’16, who played No. 4 in the singles lineup, went down early in the pre-season with an ankle injury that has cost him the majority of his junior season. He is still trying to get back into last season’s form. On top of this injury, first flight singles and doubles player Oliver has also missed a portion of time with a back injury. This week’s match-up against Hobart will be the first time all season that the team will be able to deploy their entire lineup. The season will culminate with a matchup against their biggest rival Connecticut College.
However, during difficult times this season the team could always look to Burke Paxton ’17 to function as the “glue” of the team. Paxton, despite not consistently playing in the lineup this season, has brought a passion, work ethic and enthusiasm for tennis that is unmatched by anyone on the team. When asked about Paxton, Captain Oliver stated, “Burke Paxton is the glue that continues to hold this team together. His commitment to this program is unparalleled and deeply appreciated by all of us.”
The future of the men’s team looks bright, as a lot of the foundation of this year’s team will be returning next season, a foundation that is still relatively very young. However, they will certainly miss the strong leadership provided by their graduating captains next season, as the team now will look for someone else to take a lead on and off the court.