With the Centennial Championship only a few weeks away, the Blue Jays are on top of the heap, boasting a 5-0 record against conference opponents and a 10-6 showing overall.
The 7-2 fall at No. 10 Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) halted the six-game win streak for the Jays with seniors Tanner Brown and Jensen Reiter securing the only points for Hopkins in singles matches. Both doubles teams fell short, with sophomore Jeremy Dubin and senior Noah Joachim dropping their match by a score of 9-8. The other doubles team, composed of sophomore duo Mike Buxbaum and Emerson Walsh, ended their match with a 9-7 loss.
The well-contested matchup of ranked teams was a rare challenge for the Jays.
“From this loss we are able to see where we need to improve,” junior Christopher Jou said. “Our schedule is not filled with a lot of top teams so these tough matches are key to our success in the post season by exposing our weaknesses. Practicing serves and returns to increase those percentages will be our next emphasis to put a lot more pressure on those kind of opponents.”
The Jays sit at the No. 11 spot in the current national polls after three shutouts in the first portion of the season. Still up ahead are two ranked matches against No. 19 Mary Washington and No. 25 North Carolina Wesleyan, in addition to a trio of conference matchups against Muhlenburg, Washington College and McDaniel.
Before the loss to CMU, the players were able to look back at a different kind of experience against Franklin and Marshall University (F&M) that proved to be a huge motivational turning point in the season.
On indoor courts, the Jays were close to losing their first conference match in over a decade with the score tied 4-4 and the streak in the hands of freshman Jacob Lin who was down 6-2, 4-0.
“Our captain, Tanner Brown, went up to Jacob and said, ‘We need you to win this match,’” senior Edward Corty said. “Jacob’s eyes widened in disbelief, realizing the match had come down to him. He then started to make every shot to come back and win in three sets to keep the streak alive.”
In the wake of a ranked match loss, the team has proved mentally tough and resilient, making them well-prepared for the intensity of postseason play.
“Moments like those bring our team closer together and make us want to work harder,” Corty said.
This mentality has certainly translated into confidence as shown by the recent success, but the team remains grounded.
“We’re going to work hard to take things one at a time, remaining optimistic about the remainder of the season,” Jou said. “Adding that pressure on opponents will hopefully help us win a national title.”
Up next for the Jays is a doubleheader against Muhlenberg College and the University of Mary Washington this Saturday starting at 11 a.m.
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