As the early April snow flurries fell on Hopkins' chilly campus this past week, the Jays had their necks craned skyward. They were thinking only one thing: it's strange weather for tennis. But that didn't stop the tennis teams from bringing the heat to their conference rivals.
For the men's team, the week started out on Saturday opposite dual contenders Ursinus and Swarthmore, both Centennial Conference opponents. Luckily, the No. 21-ranked Blue Jays competition turned into dual pretenders as the men's team soundly defeated Ursinus, 9-0, and Swarthmore, 5-4,. Good enough for one week's work? Hardly. The men's team then went on to triumph over Salisbury College, 7-2, in a contest that propelled them into a six-match winning streak.
"We knew it was a big weekend with a conference match and the two very good teams in our region," junior captain Raphael Roberti said. "However, we have a very deep team and were able to pull through." The morning match against Ursinus started out well and never soured. The impressive 9-0 victory was the result of an unrelenting set-after-set battle that kept Ursinus off of their game and Hopkins dominating its own. The Jays made it look easy, never letting a Bear win more than two games in a set all afternoon.
Coming off of their victory against Ursinus, the Blue Jays moved on to their next (much more menacing) rival, 26th-ranked Swarthmore College. The contest was a daunting one. Since 1963, the Hopkins men's tennis team had not once defeated the Garnet.
But the times, they are a-changin'.
The Jays secured their first win in over 40 years with a close match, ending 5-4. Roberti came in with a defiant victory over Kevin Shaughnessy of Swarthmore. He was also aided by charged freshman Peter Vale, who defeated J.J. England in a tide-changing clash of racquets. Vale also secured his ninth straight win during the subsequent April 9 match against Salisbury University.
The women's tennis team has been achieving feats that are similarly impressive, if not even more spectacular. With a ranking that is currently sitting secure at No. 15 and constantly being pushed up by stellar performances, the women took on three teams and nabbed three victories. The Lady Jays pounded out an unrelenting assault against conference foes Dickinson and Haverford, who lost 8-1 and 9-0, respectively, before putting an exclamation point on their week with a toughly fought victory over Salisbury.
With the three victories, the Lady Jays vaulted their winning streak to an impressive eight matches. Bringing home the bacon were doubles partners sophomore Brittany Matava and freshman Anita Bhamidipati. The dynamic duo paralleled the women's team in general over this last week, winning their sixth, seventh and eighth consecutive doubles matches against opponents from Dickinson, Haverford and Salisbury, respectively. The two also contributed by securing wins in singles play. Each of them, interestingly enough, earned her thirteenth "W" of the season (keep your fingers crossed).
Matava and Bhamidipati were not alone, however.
"I think we are feeling relatively confident about our performance this year. We trust the other people to pull through in their matches," Matava said. Wins from sophomore Debbie Blass and freshman Amanda Schubert helped ensure victory as the matches progressed. And apparently, it is this team-based environment that keeps both the men's and women's teams going strong.
"You know that when you are in a tough match, your team will be out there on the next court cheering you on," Bhamidipati said. There is even collaboration and support between the men's and women's teams, as they each share head coach Chuck Willenborg.
"We come out to each other's home matches and cheer the guys on, and they do the same for us, so it's really great," Bhamidipati said.
And it is certainly turning out to be a great season. With the tennis program on a continual upward slope, Willenborg is enthusiastic for the future.
"I used to have to go out to recruit and sell this thing, [the tennis program] but now sometimes I even have to turn kids away c9 It's also exciting for us that things are happening in the tennis program that have never really happened before," he said.
And with their national rankings rising, things will certainly keep happening for the Blue Jays. If they succeed in their upcoming bid against undefeated Haverford, Hopkins Tennis will also be hosting both the men's and women's Centennial Conference Championships. If the Jays keep heating up, the courts won't be cold for much longer.
Both teams are home this Saturday -- the women vs. Bryn Mawr at 11 a.m. and the men vs. Franklin & Marshall at 2 p.m.
