In a matchup last weekend between two talented NCAA Division III teams, the No. 2-ranked Emory men’s tennis team travelled to face off against No. 3-ranked Middlebury College (Vt.). The Eagles defeated the Panthers 6-3 for their eighth straight victory and arguably their most impressive win of the season.
In singles play, Emory and Middlebury split the matches, winning three each. Senior James Spaulding notched one of these wins with a score of 6-2, 6-3. The other two wins came from freshmen Antonio Mora and Andrew Esses, who secured a 7-6 (7-0), 6-2 win and a 5-7, 6-3, 10-2 win, respectively.
Emory shined in doubles play as they triumphed in all three matches. The veteran team of seniors Jonathan Jemison and Adrien Bouchet defeated their opponents 8-6. Sophomore Will Wanner and Spaulding also prevailed with an 8-3 win, the duo’s 8th straight victory. In addition, Spaulding was selected as the University Athletic Association’s Men’s Tennis Player of the Week for his outstanding play. Sophomore Hayden Cassone and Mora completed the doubles sweep with a score of 8-7 (7-5).
While Head Coach John Browning was happy about the victory, he is more focused on the team’s improvement than the win-loss column.
“I don’t even look at wins and losses,” Browning said. “I really only focus on match-to-match improvement because we could win a match but still regress.”
Sophomore Sahil Raina emphasized the importance of enjoying the season and taking advantage of the time on the court.
“We had the mentality of going out there and having fun and living in the moment and we got the job done,” Raina said.
With the win, Emory improves to 12-2 on the season. The Eagles return to action on April 11 at Middle Georgia State University.
