Lewiston, ME – The Ephs returned to NESCAC action this weekend, facing off against Bates in what was a long-awaited match. Alumni Arturo Kam described the day as "the second best dia of the ano." This marked the Ephs' first road trip of the season, and while the journey to Maine was long, assistant coach
Andrew Dorr made sure the team stayed energized during the van ride. The long drive fueled a determination in their hearts, which showed in their mental toughness throughout the day, especially on the slick indoor carpet courts in the field house at Bates. The boys fought hard and ultimately defeated the Bates Bobcats 6-1.
Doubles action was tight on all three courts, and the doubles point came down to a few crucial points. The fast surface allowed for easy holds and aggressive volleys, except on Court 1, where the pairs exchanged breaks. At No. 2, junior
Simon Volkema and first-year
Diego Marin (aka "No More Rackets") teamed up for their first match together. The pair was electric, hitting a number of remarkable shots, including a behind-the-back lob from Marin that had the crowd on its feet. Unfortunately, they fell just short, losing a close tiebreaker.
At No. 1, junior
Nicholas Chen and senior
Shawn Berdia continued to prove their chemistry, securing a late break and break consolidation to win 7-5. With both teams having one win each in doubles, the deciding match came down to first-year
Robert Cooper Jr. and sophomore
Leon Liu. Despite having chances to break in every return game, the match went to a tiebreaker. Down 3-0, the Eph pair locked in and began to execute the basics with precision. Remembering their training at the Grafton Academy, they battled back and, with the fans on the edge of their seats, found themselves ahead 6-5. Cooper then sealed the deal with a blistering ace, measured at 152 mph on the radar gun, clinching the set and the doubles point for the Ephs.
Singles play began immediately after doubles, and the first four players to take the court were first-year
Jack Ling, juniors
Simon Volkema and
Nicholas Chen, and sophomore
Leon Liu. The Ephs carried their momentum from doubles, taking all four first sets. Chen and Liu were especially dominant, with Chen winning his first set 6-1 and Liu following up with a 6-0 win. Ling and Volkema showed their clutch genes in tight first sets, winning 7-5 and 7-6, respectively.
Chen and Volkema kept the momentum rolling, winning their matches in straight sets, while Ling and Liu dropped their second sets but stayed focused and bounced back to win in three. Next on court were senior
Shawn Berdia and freshman
Diego Marin. Berdia continued his nonchalant yet effective form, cruising to a straight-set win with his speed, powerful ground strokes, and serve. Marin, however, was in a fierce battle. After losing the first set 6-2, he came back strong, dominating the second-set tiebreaker 7-1. Unfortunately, his opponent hit a few brilliant points in the match tiebreaker, and Marin fell just short.
Throughout singles, there were some unforgettable shots. Chen, after winning a crucial point, fired a scorching forehand down the line that left his opponent no chance. Meanwhile, Liu wowed the crowd with a diving backhand return in the third set that landed just inside the baseline, setting the tone for his comeback win. Ling and Volkema each had their moments of brilliance too, with Ling hitting a one-handed backhand that seemed to defy physics, and Volkema turning defense into offense with an insane cross-court pass that left his opponent shaking his head.
After the match, Eph assistant coach
Andrew Dorr spoke highly of the team's efforts, saying, "This weekend was a quick trip up to Maine, but the boys showed up and performed well. They stayed mentally tough, especially on important points."
The Ephs will now focus on improving as much as they can and putting in the touches on the practice court before traveling to California to face Chapman on Monday, March 24
th for their first match of the spring break trip.
Doubles:
- Berdia/Chen (WIL) def. Adey/Kapothanasis (BAT) 7-5
- Kosyagin/Sacco (BAT) def. Volkema/Marin (WIL) 7-6 (3)
- Cooper/Liu (WIL) def. Diop/Ozkuzey (BAT) 7-6 (5)
Singles:
- Chen (WIL) def. Kosyagin (BAT) 6-1, 6-4
- Berdia (WIL) def. Diop (BAT) 7-5, 6-4
- Volkema (WIL) def. Adey (BAT) 7-6 (6), 6-4
- Liu (WIL) def. Ozkuzey (BAT) 6-0, 2-6, 6-2
- Ling (WIL) def. Sacco (BAT) 7-5, 6-7 (5), 10-3
- Ozer (BAT) def. Marin (WIL) 6-2, 6-7 (1), 10-6
