Elite 8 Bound, Panthers Win NCAA Regional (22-4)

The NCAA tournament is underway and the regional rounds have been completed. Middlebury received the overall #2 seed for the tournament, which allowed us to host our regional. We knew that with MIT and Johns Hopkins in our regional that we would have a tough match in front of us before we could punch our ticket to the final site. After we won a match versus Wilkes in the Round of 32, we then faced Johns Hopkins on Sunday at the Proctor courts. On a beautiful spring day in Middlebury with many our players’ fellow students cheering us on, we won a decisive 5-1 victory over Johns Hopkins to move on the Elite 8! The coaching staff was particularly pleased with our performance in singles as all of our players from #1 to #6 singles won their first sets and were on their way toward victory when some matches were stopped after the match reached its final conclusion.

Team Meeting Getting Dialed In Pre Match

Match Highlights

In our first match of the tournament, the Panthers got out to a strong lead and never looked back against Wilkes. Cuba/Schlanger, Farrell/de Quant, and van der Geest/Martin won their doubles matches via 8-4, 8-0, and 8-1 scores respectively. Schlanger and Xiao were the first two Panthers to secure a singles victory in straight sets, completing a 5-0 decision in favor of the Panthers and providing us with solid momentum heading into a match against a dangerous Johns Hopkins team, that just beat a talented MIT team on Saturday.

The Boys Looking Sharp on Match Day!

At the outset of the match, the Panthers found themselves in a battle on all 3 doubles courts about halfway through. However, our guys kept digging in and kept competing the whole way. Martin and van der Geest got the first Panther point on the board with an 8-4 victory, as the pair continues to excel in postseason play! De Quant and Farrell fought hard, but could not quite complete a comeback and dropped a 9-7 decision at #2 doubles. Schlanger and Cuba continued to find a way to get a point on the board in another close doubles set with a 9-7 final result giving the Panthers a 2-1 lead and some momentum heading into singles play.

Martin '19 knifing a backhand slice!

Realizing that Johns Hopkins was not going to be an easy match in any respect after the tightly contested doubles matches, the Panthers knew they needed to bring their best level to the singles play, and come to play the Panthers did! Winning first sets on all courts and demonstrating our ability to be rock solid at every spot in the lineup, the Panthers thrived on the Proctor courts on a sunny spring day in front of their home fans. Nate Eazor and Andre Xiao, our dynamic freshmen duo at the bottom of the lineup both finished their matches in straight sets and seem to be playing some of their best tennis. Will de Quant also completed his match in straight sets. With a 5-1 victory, the Panthers booked themselves a spot in the Elite 8. The full match recaps can be seen at the links below. 

de Quant '18 Serving in Front of A Great Home Crowd!

Wilkes Match Recap:

http://athletics.middlebury.edu/sports/mten/2017-18/releases/20180512pxzva9

Johns Hopkins Match Recap:

http://athletics.middlebury.edu/sports/mten/2017-18/releases/20180513nfvxly

NCAA Tournament Elite 8

The final site for this year’s NCAA tournament is at CMS in Claremont, CA. We now have a total of three matches in which we need to be victorious to achieve our aim of winning the national title. It will be a fun challenge and one our guys are really looking forward to tackling. We are training hard, and also studying hard, as our guys are in the midst of final exam week as we prepare to travel to Southern California. Despite this tough balance, our guys have demonstrated that they have mastered the art of how to perform well in both the classroom and on the courts simultaneously. 

Eazor '21 getting ready to rip his patented forehand!

Xiao '21 getting low for a backhand!

Live Video and Scoring Link

Live video, live scoring, and tournament updates for the NCAA final rounds will be found at this link: http://cmsathletics.org/sports/18tennis/Men-s_Championship

Schedule of Play (PLEASE NOTE ALL TIMES LISTED IN PST)

Date                Time               Opponent                               Location

5/21                 12pm               Whitman, NCAA ¼ final        Claremont, CA

5/22                 11am               NCAA Semifinal                    Claremont, CA

5/23                 11am               NCAA Final                           Claremont, CA

5/24-5/26         TBD                NCAA Individuals                  Claremont, CA

It’s time! Go Midd!

The Middlebury Men’s Tennis Coach Staff