The Resilience and Joy of Our Panthers (12-3) Has Been on Full Display

Hard to believe how fast time flies when we are in season, and our action-packed spring continues to reveal more about where our squad is and where we are headed! Since we last posted, we have gone 3-1 in NESCAC conference play and are setting a pace to be charging ahead for more exciting matches. Two overall themes have been consistent, the depth of our team continues to impress as well as our ability to stick together and demonstrate grit and resilience when needed. We have recognized that we need to continue building our collective skills and strengths, particularly on the doubles side of the ball, and cannot wait to keep putting in the work!

The squad, always together getting ready to rumble!

We also want to highlight and remind our alumni that our alumni weekend matches will take place on April 27-28 (and our senior celebration will take place the evening of April 27th as well). We cannot wait to see many of you there!

Williams College (Midd lost 4-5)

Robby Ward serving it up to set up partner Neel Epstein to hunt volleys at the net!

On a sunny, albeit windy and cool afternoon, we took the courts to take on a fun matchup with Williams. We lost a couple of tightly contested doubles matches at #2 and #3 doubles, but were buoyed by an impressive performance at #1 doubles (Ward/Epstein) who took out the #2 ranked team in the region to put us on the board! In singles play, we roared out to take four first sets, but came up one singles win short of being victorious. Our wins came at #4-6 singles (Epstein, Harris, and Lewis respectively). Although we put our hearts on the line and competed as we always do, we knew immediately after this match we wanted to use it as a learning experience to propel us forward. The fire was burning stronger than ever, and this is what makes coaching this group such an enjoyable task! See the full box score here.

Connecticut College (Midd won 9-0) and Trinity College (Midd won 9-0)

In our next two NESCAC matchups, both on the road, we came out firing from start to finish! It is not always easy to play excellent tennis when you are ranked ahead of an opponent, but we managed to do just that. We won at all 18 spots across the two matchups, but more importantly brought a great sense of energy and enthusiasm across these matches and really competed together and for each other. That is one of the most special parts of college tennis, using the court-to-court momentum and taking advantage of the unique camaraderie that has been a part of the Middlebury Tennis program for many decades! The box scores can be seen here and here respectively.

Wesleyan University (Midd won 6-3)

Noah Lewis digging in for a backhand volley (photo from spring break)!

In our third consecutive away NESCAC match (of what will be five in a row), we took on a Wesleyan team that came in with a great deal of confidence after beating Williams the day before. Although we came out firing pretty well jumping out to leads on a couple of doubles courts, we ended up losing all three matchups in doubles including having a match point in one of them. If our memory is correct, we had not completed a comeback after being swept in doubles since 2019. However, with the deeply felt knowledge of the resilience and capability of our team this year we could feel that this match was far from over. Sure enough, we pulled together in an incredibly impressive performance to win all 6 singles matches in straight sets! The connection between our players was palpable from court-to-court and from their teammates on the sidelines. The clinching 5th point came from freshman Noah Lewis at #5 singles who finished just a few points ahead of Robby ward who earned our 6th and final team point at #2 singles. Shout outs to Julian Wu (#1 singles), Neel Epstein (#3 singles), Aidan Harris (#4 singles), and Hugh Hentschel (#6 singles) who also prevailed in their singles matches to set the stage for the clinching match. The full box score can be seen here. 

Upcoming Schedule (NOTE: ALUMNI WEEKEND IS APRIL 27-28, SENIOR CELEBRATION is April 27)

Next up on our journey two more weekends filled with regular season conference matchups, with the NESCAC tournament to follow. Let’s go Midd!

Go Midd!

- Middlebury Tennis Coaching Staff

Panthers (9-2): Battle Tested After Spring Break Heading Into NESCAC Play

We are now just on the other side of our spring break and heading into more NESCAC play starting this weekend! Before we outline our schedule ahead, we want to take a stab at summarizing our six matches in seven days during our stint in SoCal. It was a whirlwind of challenge and fun, and our group continues to rise and demonstrate our potential to be a fierce and dangerous squad as we move through our journey this year. We won four out of our six matches last week, and even more importantly grew our collective resilience and confidence for what lies ahead! The coaches have been continually impressed by our group’s doubles play (we have gained a lead after doubles in every DIII matchup so far this year) and our collective ability to enjoy challenging competitive moments. Beyond the courts, we enjoyed living in SoCal for the week getting a chance to spend some time at the beach, eat a lot of tacos, and most importantly solidified the bonds that bind our group that only get fully cemented when traveling together.

Always a good day to BE GREAT!

All smiles!

More smiles!

Alumni Weekend

We want to highlight and remind our alumni that our alumni weekend matches will take place on April 27-28. We cannot wait to see many of you there!

University of Redlands (Midd won 8-1)

We wasted no time diving into a competitive matchup playing the very next day after we arrived in CA against an opponent that is historically challenging to face on the road. After kicking things off with a 2-1 doubles lead, highlighted by #2 doubles (Harris/Laber) posting a quick 8-1 proset to get things rolling, we then proceeded to sweep all six singles matches winning four in straight sets and two in third sets. See full box score here.

Aidan Harris and Noah Laber!

Chapman University (Midd won 7-2) and Hope International University (Midd won 9-0)

The very next day we took on both Chapman and Hope International on the same day. It was an excellent day for the Panthers where nearly everyone on our roster earned a win during the day whether in the matches or additional exhibition matches. A day like this highlighted our team depth throughout and our hunger to take advantage of all opportunities to compete and learn.

Box scores can be seen here and here respectively. 

Julian Wu and Joe Mairs!

Robby Ward!

Azusa Pacific University (Midd lost 4-1)

Playing a perennial DII powerhouse, Azusa Pacific, we knew we were in for a fun battle. We played all DI rules and the doubles was an intense fight. Our group’s doubles charge was again led by #2 doubles (Harris/Laber) who posted a 6-3 win. Unfortunately, APU took the other two doubles flights but we definitely had our noses in there. In singles play, we fought until the nd but came up just short. Panther highlights included #4 singles (Aidan Harris) who posted a straight set win as well as #2 singles (Julian Wu) and #5 singles (Neel Epstein) who both had commanding leads before play was stopped as the match was clinched. Box score can be seen here.

Neel Epstein balling!

Julian Wu balling!

Pomona-Pitzer (Midd won 8-1)

After a couple of days without scheduled matches, we continued to bring our best on the courts kicking off this match with a doubles sweep! Winning at #1-3 doubles, we put pressure on PP immediately heading into singles play perhaps highlighted by a decisive 8-2 win at #1 doubles (Ward/Epstein). The group never slowed down even for a minute. Winning four matches in straight sets and one in three, the Panthers displayed that our ability to hit from all aspects of the lineup to put points on the board!  See the full box score here.

Neel Epstein and Robby Ward!

CMS (Midd lost 4-3)

Heading into a tough place to play against another top nationally ranked opponent, we could not wait to see how we would stack up against the competition. The match did not disappoint.  We played DI scoring format in this matchup because of the ability to do so if both teams agree well in advance, in preparation to get used to this type of format for future years (it seems to be on its way to DIII tennis soon). The Panthers kicked things off in style by winning all three doubles sets, including a nice come from behind effort at #3 doubles (Wu/Lewis). Heading into singles play with a 1-0 lead, we knew we had to keep going. We took our momentum from doubles and won 4 first sets, but CMS dug their heels in and we had a fight on our hands throughout. The Panthers singles play was highlighted by wins at #5 singles (Epstein) and a three-set winning effort at #2 singles (Wu). Unfortunately, CMS turned around two matches in three set battles to provide them with a narrow 4-3 win. Although the taste of a loss can be bitter, our group remains poised and on the path. We know that neither wins nor losses will define us, but rather our ability to move forward continuing to grow, improve, and prepare for what lies ahead. There is simply no joy better than competing together, and we cannot wait for more dual match battles ahead soon! Check out the box score here.

Nikky Kondamuri and Nathan Jackson!

Thehan Wijemanne!

Upcoming Schedule (NOTE: ALUMNI WEEKEND IS APRIL 27-28)

Next up on our journey is our NESCAC conference play where we will continue to face many of the top DIII teams in the nation. Let’s go!!! Check it out below.

Go Midd!

- Middlebury Tennis Coaching Staff

Panthers (5-0) Get Out to a Strong Start

It has been an exciting start to the year with our group racking up five straight wins! Our triumphs included wins over a D-II opponent and three wins over nationally ranked teams including Bates (#39), Brandeis (#20), and Tufts (#5). Our team has highlighted our impressive depth throughout our roster with 100% of our players earning a win across these matches, and a fantastic blend of veteran and underclassmen performances. We know we have played some solid tennis, but that with continued hard work and refinement we can push ourselves to play even better than our current clip. The coaches have been continually impressed by this group’s dedication, and their hunger to continue to get better will certainly serve us well as we prepare for many more exciting and fun challenges ahead (see our spring break schedule below)!

Hugh Hentschel serving up some early season wins with his teammates!

Brandeis University (Midd wins 7-2)

Kicking off our season with a strong opponent, the doubles was intensely contested in this one. Paced by a strong win at #3 doubles (Wu/Lewis) and then a gutsy comeback win at #1 doubles (Epstein/Ward), the Panthers came away with a 2-1 lead headed into singles play. Our squad began to settle in to the dual match environment, and hit hard from all positions earning 5 of 6 singles wins, with the only dropped match being a hard fought 3-set battle. See the full box score here.

Noah Lewis and Nathan Jackson came ready to rumble!

Skidmore College (Midd wins 9-0)

Showing off both our depth and hunger in the second-half of our opening day double-header, the Panthers were amped up to compete. A special note about this match beyond solid play from top to bottom, is that all three of our Freshmen Panthers earned decisive straight set wins, marking the first dual match victories in singles play for each of them simultaneously! See the full box score here.

Saint Michael’s College (Midd wins 9-0)

During another double-header day, the Panthers came out swinging versus our first DII opponent this year. We came out charging in doubles play and never looked back in this one. Across many great highlights, senior standouts Maximus Kim and Andrew Mueller finished off this match in style with impressive straight set victories to secure the match. See the full box score here.

Bates College (Midd wins 9-0)

In our second match of the day, the Panthers simply showed no let up in this one. We took the momentum from the jump, with impressive doubles wins at #1-3 doubles (8-5, 8-5, and 8-3) by Epstein/Ward, Laber/Harris, and Hentschel/Mairs respectively. This is no easy task against a solid Bates team that always comes to play and always has strong doubles. From there, the Panthers took all six singles matches in straight set style, playing to our own high standards across the board. See the full box score here.

Noah Laber and Aidan Harris throwback photo!

Tufts (Midd wins 6-3)

Anytime we take on a top-5 nationally ranked opponent, we know we need to be prepared for a good battle. The match was an exciting one from start to finish, and we had to hit hard across all 9 positions before Tufts finally relinquished the match. In doubles play, we came out strong earning excellent wins at #2 doubles (Laber/Harris) and #3 doubles (Mairs/Hentschel) to get out to a 2-0 lead. Putting the pressure on, our #1 doubles pair (Epstein/Ward) nearly gave us the doubles sweep but fell just short in a tiebreaker. We love that we competed well and put ourselves in great positions across the board in doubles and in singles too. In singles play, we earned 3 impressive and decisive straight set wins at #2 singles (Wu), #3 singles (Ward), and #5 singles (Epstein). Our only two singles losses came in three-set battles, but our 5th clinching point was earned via a third set tiebreaker where #6 singles (Hentschel) posted an awesome 7-0 tiebreak win to secure the victory for the Panthers! See the full box score here.

Julian Wu (Juju) calm and collected per usual!

Neel Epstein bringing the focus!

Spring Break

Next up on our journey is our spring break trip to SoCal, which is always a highlight both on the courts and off. As we transition to more outdoor matches and play a slate of challenging opponents throughout the week, it will be a great test and way to push our games to grow to new heights. Beyond the matches, traveling together and sharing the bonds that often become fully forged on the road will continue to build our already strong comradery. Check out our Spring Break Schedule below and as always you can check out our schedule/results page to check out our live scoring and live streaming.

Go Midd!

Cheers,

The Middlebury Tennis Coaching Staff

Let Our 2024 Spring Journey Begin

We want to share with you our excitement for the upcoming dual match season, with our first practices getting underway at the beginning of February and our first dual matches beginning with a doubleheader on March 3rd! Let’s go! We begin the year ranked #2 in the ITA pre-season national poll, and cannot wait to compete and build on this. Our group this year is a special blend of hungry, experienced, and deep. In this blog post we spotlight our freshmen class, share our Spring 2024 dual match schedule, and share our collective enthusiasm for what is shaping up to be an exciting spring season! 

Our team worked incredibly hard this J-Term, and the coaches are beyond pleased with the leadership our players are demonstrating across the board. Each of our Panthers has been consistent in taking ownership to explore their tennis potential throughout our developmental season. Moreover, our team is about working hard and working together, striving to push our collective level more than just on our own. Each part of our training will serve to position us well and to ensure we can fully know that we put our full hearts into striving for our biggest goals. Another key shout out the coaching staff wants highlight is that our players really stepped up during our community service project in December where we partnered with the HOPE foundation to provide holiday gifts to families in need in Addison County. Our players had a blast and gathered a huge number of toys and needed items this holiday season!

Freshmen Spotlights 

From left to right: Nikky Kondamuri, Thehan Wijemanne, and Noah Lewis

Nikky Kondamuri:

• Hometown: Munster, Indiana 
• Siblings: Two older brothers
• Favorite Food: Pasta with bacon bits
• Favorite Hobby Outside of Tennis: FaceTiming close friends from high school
• Pets: Dog (Milo)
• Favorite Pro Tennis Player: Tommy Paul
• Best Part About Being in Vermont: Skiing and being with nature in general 
• Favorite Thing About Middlebury College So Far: The outgoing/friendly people and the easiness in being able to make new friends

Noah Lewis:

• Hometown: Gaithersburg, Maryland 
• Siblings: Younger sister, Mika
• Favorite Food: Japanese Katsu Curry
• Favorite Hobby Outside of Tennis: Hanging out with friends, golfing, fishing, watching sports.
• Pets: None
• Favorite Pro Tennis Player: Rafa Nadal
• Best Part About Being in Vermont: Nature, snow
• Favorite Thing About Middlebury College So Far: The team, people I've met, the campus views.

Thehan Wijemanne:

• Hometown: Colombo, Sri Lanka 
• Siblings: Younger brother, Methvan
• Favorite Food: Sri Lankan food
• Favorite Hobby Outside of Tennis: Playing poker, Hanging out with friends
• Pets: None
• Favorite Pro Tennis Player: Rafel Nadal
• Best Part About Being in Vermont: Peaceful environment
• Favorite Thing About Middlebury College So Far: Teammates, Atwater dining hall

2024 Spring Schedule 

Check out our finalized 2024 Spring Schedule below. We loaded up a challenging schedule to really test ourselves and provide as many opportunities as possible to grow and build our resilience and strength during the phases of the season. We will play some of the toughest competition in DIII, as well as some challenging matches against non-DIII opponents. See our schedule graphic below, and you can also click here to always have the latest updates on our spring schedule.

Alumni Match Weekend (April 27th and 28th)

Alumni match weekend will take place April 27-28, when we host Bowdoin on Saturday and Colby on Sunday. We will plan to host a get together with alumni who join us after the match on Saturday.

Thanks for reading along and stay tuned for more updates! Go Midd!

- The Middlebury Men’s Tennis Coaching Staff