Lords win NCACs, Ladies fall short

"We came, we saw, we conquered," Charlie Brody '10 said to summarize how the Lords tennis team, ranked eighth nationally, went about devastating its competition last weekend at the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament en route to its third consecutive conference championship.

Prior to the tournament's championship match, the Lords were untouchable. In the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, Kenyon found little trouble dispatching the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops and the Wittenberg Tigers, respectively. Although the Lords used immensely weakened line-ups against both squads, they did not concede a single set in either contest. On Saturday, April 25, in the final round of the competition, Kenyon faced the 23rd-ranked Denison Big Red in a rematch of a recent trouncing that went in favor of the Lords. Initially, the bout between the rival squads was hotly contested, with all three doubles matches appearing to be a seesaw affair. As if on cue, though, all three Lords' doubles teams took control of their opponents after a few games. Michael Greenberg '10 recognized that he and his partner, Will VandenBerg '10, started out slowly but finished well, saying: "We had many chances to break early on but didn't convert. We were comfortable right where we were because we were holding easy and knew it was only a matter of converting one or two break points that would enable us run away with it." Greenberg and VandenBerg did, in fact, run away with the match, winning with a final score of 8-4.

The other two Lords doubles teams that contributed to a sweep of the doubles points were Josh Stiles '12 and Brody, prevailing 8-4 at second doubles, and Tomas Piskacek '11 and Jeremy Polster '11, triumphing 8-3 at third doubles. Head Coach Scott Thielke expressed his satisfaction with the team's doubles play, saying: "Our men played our best doubles of the year. So once we did so well in doubles I knew we had it won. It would have been too hard for Denison to come back from 3-0 down."

Greenberg agreed that having a 3-0 edge puts the opposition in a precarious position, but said that the final decision does not become a foregone conclusion thereafter. "Being up 3-0 is the biggest mental advantage a team can get going into singles," Greenberg said. "However, as a team, we have to be careful about that large lead because of the potential for certain players to rely on their teammates' wins. This can get dangerous, most especially when the team who is down 3-0 feels as though they have nothing to lose and 'swings for the fences.' So even though we were up 3-0, we try and refocus and play as though we need each and every singles win. The joy in sweeping Denison usually takes care of those worries anyways."

Needing only two matches to secure the tournament final, the Lords did not suffer any sort of breakdown. Shortly after Greenberg slaughtered Jordan Beuhler '09 6-1, 6-0, VandenBerg secured the championship for the Lords with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Tyler Cempre '12. It ought to be noted that in the two matches between the Lords and the Big Red this year, the Lords have won by a combined score of 13-0 and failed to forfeit a single set in the process.

Next, the Lords will participate in the Division III National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Tennis Tournament. "The team draws will be out next Monday," Thielke said. "The individual draws won't be out until the 20th of May. Mike [Greenberg] and Tomas [Piskacek] should make the singles draw, Will [VandenBerg] and Mike [Greenberg] in doubles." Kenyon will likely serve as a host site for a few first and second round NCAA tournament matches, which begin on May 8.

When asked if the Lords could acquire a national championship, Thielke said: "I believe if we get to the quarter-finals, we have a legitimate shot at the title. We have played the toughest schedule in the country and know what to expect from all the top teams."

Not to be overlooked, the Kenyon Ladies tennis team also fared well in the NCAC tournament last Saturday and Sunday, but fell just short of matching the Lords' accomplishment. The Ladies started out well, drubbing the Earlham College Hustlin' Quakers 5-0. In the semifinals, however, the Allegheny College Gators made the Ladies earn their spot in the championship match. Although the Ladies defeated the Gators relatively comfortably during the regular season, it took Kenyon an extraordinary effort to win this time around. Kenyon held a 2-1 lead after doubles, but Allegheny came roaring back in singles to take a 4-3 advantage. With only two matches left on court, the Ladies needed both Molly Yost '09 and Alexis Marino '09 to win in order to advance. Yost leveled the match at 4-4 after beating Sara Longo '11 6-4, 7-5, and then all eyes were on Marino. After being held scoreless in the second set by her opponent, Elyse Schmitt '12, Marino made a blockbuster comeback that sent the Ladies to the final round, winning 6-3, 0-6, 6-3.

"After having a tough second set, I managed to regain my focus and play smart tennis," Marino said. "I knew it was up to me to win the match so we could move on to the finals against Denison. I did not want to let the team down, so I did everything in my power to make sure I won the match. I would say I would attribute almost of my comeback to mental strength. With the strong winds and pressure of the match, I knew I needed to stay strong and be patient in order to win. My coaches were, as always, a huge help. They are always there to keep pushing me to do my best and always know the right thing to say to keep me going. I do not know if this was the best win of my career, but it is definitely the most memorable and a great way to end. The Ladies tennis team had a great weekend and everyone gave it their all for the last match of the season."

Although the Ladies lost 5-0 in the championship match to Denison, their season may not be over just yet. According to Thielke they have an outside shot at the NCAAs. "Everything has to fall into place perfectly," she said.