Panthers Showing Steady Improvement, Preparing for DI Competition at Princeton

The fall season is in full swing and the Panthers are beginning to find their form. It has been a highlight to see how much we are enjoying the process of training and improving. We know that enjoying the journey every step of the way is not only more fun, but also a more sustainable path of development! This past weekend we hosted and competed in the New England Fall ITA Regional Championships, and as a group we took another step in the right direction improving on our results from the Middlebury Invitational. There were many strong performances that deserve mention, but overall it was the Panther depth that was on display over the weekend.

Adam Guo '21 crushing one of his inside out forehands!

Highlights From the 2018 ITA New England Regional

·      The Panthers went 14-2 after Day 1 (the first round of doubles and two rounds of singles), with the only 2 losses coming in match tiebreakers for a third set.

·      Noah Farrell, Lubomir Cuba, Stanley Morris, and Nate Eazor all reached the Rd of 16, with Farrell and Cuba extending their runs in the Quarterfinals.

·      Noah Farrell and Peter Martin played some spectacular doubles en route to the Quarterfinals, where they were defeated by the eventual tournament champions.

·      Nate Eazor and Lubomir Cuba made an incredible run to the finals of the doubles draw, and battled like champions through any obstacles they faced.

·      Weston Brach and David Vilys partnered extremely well to get an upset over a seeded Amherst team 8-5 in the first round of the doubles.

Noah Farrell '19 has been whizzing backhand
passing shots by opponents for years!

A complete description of tournament results can be found here: http://athletics.middlebury.edu/sports/mten/2018-19/releases/20180930ljx340

Team meetings, in a beautiful setting on our home courts,
are critical for us to build on what we have done well and
to define what we need to focus on for the coming week.

Freshman Spotlight: Get To Know David Vilys

Hometown: Naples, Florida

Siblings: Only child

Favorite Food: Cheeseburger

Favorite Hobby Outside of Tennis: FIFA soccer
Pets: Two cats (George is 12 and Heidi is 8)

Favorite Pro Tennis Player: Roger Federer

Best Part About Being in Vermont: The warm weather (he hasn’t experienced winter yet)

Best Advice You Have Been Given by a Teammate: Don’t skip practice – Peter Martin

David Vilys '22 on the far left with his fellow classmates!

Next up this weekend is the Farnsworth Invitational hosted by Princeton University on 10/5, 10/6, and 10/7. The Panthers will compete against Division I opponents all weekend. The tournament format is to win or lose as a team of two players, by playing a doubles pro set and then playing two singles matches. Whoever wins 2 of the 3 matches moves on to the next round.

Special thanks to the many parents who were able to join us in Middlebury this past weekend! They provided incredible snacks, drinks, and support to our group.

Photo credits for this blog go to Joanna Brach, Dain McKee, and our very own David Vilys!  Thanks!

Very best wishes,

The Middlebury Men’s Tennis Coaching Staff