The top-seeded/#4 Middlebury men's tennis team (18-2) won its second-straight NESCAC Championship on Sunday with a 5-3 victory over second-seeded/#3 Tufts. The Panthers snapped the Jumbos' (17-2) 16-match winning-streak with their 14th-straight victory. Middlebury won the crown the last time the team competed in 2019, and earns 10th overall title for the program. The Panthers receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, with the field being announced on Monday.
Tufts grabbed the first point of the day, cruising 8-0 in the second slot of doubles. The Panthers responded, taking the final two points in tandem action. The top of the lineup featured a battle between regionally-ranked duos. Panthers
Stan Morris and
David Vilys, the #1 pair in the Northeast, edged third-ranked Josh Belandres and Rishabh Sharda 8-6.
Neel Epstein and
Zachary Hilty teamed up to win their third doubles match of the weekend, easing to an 8-5 triumph for the 2-1 Middlebury edge.
Jumbo Sharda, ranked eighth in the Northeast, bounced back from his doubles loss, evening the score at 2-2 with a quick singles point at #2.
Morris gave the Panthers a 3-2 with a come-from-behind victory in the top spot among two regionally ranked players. Trailing 5-2 in the first set, Morris answered, claiming five-straight games for the 7-5 win. He cruised to a 6-1 triumph in the second set to secure the first singles point for Middlebury. With the victory, Morris extended his win streak to double digits (10).
Tufts knotted the contest 3-3 with a tight match in the third spot. Harris fell 6-2 in the first set, and looked to split when he tied the second set 5-5, but Vuk Vuksanovic edged Harris 7-5.
Zihao Yuan put the Panthers in front 4-3, topping his opponent 6-4, 6-4 in the sixth spot. Yuan remains unbeaten this season with a perfect 16-0 record in singles play.
Hilty clinched the match for Middlebury with a 6-4, 6-3 win in at #4.
During the NESCAC Tournament, Epstein and Hilty accounted for seven of 15 points for Middlebury. They won a trio of doubles matches together, while each winning a pair of singles bouts.
