Tennis finishes out successful fall season

The men's and women's tennis teams concluded a strong fall season this week, as players from both teams were finalists at the ITA Southeast Regional Championships. The fall season follows a fantastic 2011 spring season, where the men's and women's teams ranked 13th and 11th nationally in the final ITA poll.

On the men's side, 11 singles players and seven doubles teams advanced to the round of 16 on the first day of the Southeast Regional Championships, held at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Four doubles teams then advanced to the quarterfinals. Junior Morgan Dauer and sophomore Jeremy Schwartz won the Blue 1 Doubles draw, defeating teammates German Gonzalez and Jason Reiter in the finals.

Sophomore Gonzalez would fall in the finals of the Blue 1 Singles draw as well, as he was defeated by freshman teammate Sam Weissler, 8-4.

In the Championship bracket, freshman Tanner Brown, junior Andy Hersh and freshman Ben Hwang would advance to the semi-finals. Hersh would go on to win the ITA Southeast Regional Singles title, the first in program history.

With his championship victory, Hersh becomes the first ITA Southeast Regional Singles champion in program history and the second ITA Southeast Regional champion overall. David Maldow '10 and Andrew Wang '11 won the Regional Doubles title in 2008. Hersh also earned All-American honors with the win.

By being crowned ITA Southeast Regional champion, Hersh then went on to the ITA National Small College Championship in Mobile, Alabama. He placed fourth overall in the tournament. With his fall wins, Hersh now has 54 career singles wins to his name. He is tied for third in the school record books with senior teammate Warren Elgort.

The men's team concluded fall play with a team match versus defending NCAA Division III Champion Amherst College. The Lord Jeffs won the tilt, 6-3. A highlight of the match was that senior Jacob Barnaby and freshman Noah Joachim defeated opponents Chris Date and Mark Kara, 9-8 (2), as it was Barnaby's 75th career doubles win. Barnaby is now second in the record books for career doubles wins in the men's tennis program.

The women's team participated in the ITA Southeast Regional Championship at the University of Mary Washington as well, with as much success as their male counterparts.

Sophomore Lauren Fields won the Blue 1 Singles draw, while sophomore teammate Brooke Pottish won the Blue 2 Singles draw.

It is the second straight ITA Southeast Regional Championship title for Pottish, who claimed the Blue 2A singles draw during her freshman season. It was also the third consecutive year that Hopkins won the Blue 1 Singles draw at the tournament.

Sophomore Hailey Hogan had a phenomenal tournament, advancing to the singles and doubles finals of the Championship bracket. Hogan is the first player in program and tournament history to play in both the singles and doubles finals in one year.

Hogan took on Sonja Meighan from Washington & Lee in the singles championship, falling 6-3, 6-3. Meighan had defeated Blue Jay freshman Elaine Baik in a close match earlier in the day.

Baik met Meighan in the Championship bracket semifinals and fell 7-5, 6-3. It was the second time in two years that Hopkins had two players in the Championship bracket semifinals.

Following her championship play in the singles field, Hogan turned right around and joined freshman teammate Shannon Herndon for the doubles championship. Hogan and Herndon fell to Carnegie Mellon's Lauren Chen and Lauren Chin by a score of 6-3, 6-3, to conclude the Lady Jay's fall season.

The men's and women's teams resume play in February 2012 to kick off their Spring season.