The men’s and women’s tennis teams traveled to Latham, NY on Friday, February 9, for a match up against Siena University. While it was a triumphant day for the men, who left Latham undefeated, it was an unsuccessful day for the women, who were only able to catch a victory in  a single match.

The men’s team dominantly swept the Siena Saints with a 7-0 final tally. By winning two of its three doubles matches to begin the event, Colgate won one point for its overall doubles victory. Colgate’s No. 2 and 3 doubles teams both won their matches 7-5.

All six of the Raiders’ singles defeated their opponents. Junior Alec Dardis in the No. 4 position and first-year Tyler Krantz in the No. 6 position defeated their challengers with straight-set wins. These two victories put Colgate at an early 3-0 lead. Rosenblat, Bickel and first-year Jack Ablon each also had three-set wins. Krantz, Dardis and Ablon each also had two wins in a single match for the first time this spring. 

It was Colgate’s lead singles athlete, senior captain Jacob Daugherty, however, who guaranteed a Colgate victory after winning his match in the third set. This was the second match in a row that Daugherty has tallied two wins. Talent on both the doubles and singles sides make the Colgate men’s team a powerful force early on.

“The boys are really starting to get it rolling now. We were much better at doubles, which we worked on all week. Our combination of Daugherty and Bickel at no. 1 and 2 singles is lethal, and mixing in our juniors and freshman class is beautiful to see,” head coach Bobby Pennington said. 

The women’s team battled hard but fell in an unfortunate 6-1 loss to the Siena Saints. First-year Mackenzie Deeter and sophomore Jordan Williams celebrated their second consecutive win at No. 1 doubles, winning the set 7-6 after a tight 9-7 tiebreaker. Though the Saints had already secured the doubles point, this win deterred the team from sweeping doubles. Four out of the six singles matches went to three sets, showing the persistence of the Colgate Raiders. The Saints clinched the match after sophomore Lauren O’Brien fell in a grueling match consisting of three sets

The one point for Colgate was earned in by first-year Elinor Simek, in her first dual match win of her college career. She recovered from a first set loss to defeat her opponent in the second and third sets. Friday’s overall score does not fully encapsulate the athleticism and potential of the women’s team and should not be a leading indicator of its future success.

“Unbelievably tough result and heartbreaker for our ladies. They played their hearts out, losing three matches in three sets that went the distance. Game ball goes to Elinor Simek who won her first match. I can’t say enough what a great group of ladies we have. They are so coachable. I’m confident more wins are ahead,” Pennington said.

The University of Rochester will travel to Hamilton on Saturday, February 17 for the Raider’s next competition. The women will begin at 10 a.m., followed by the men at 2 p.m.

Contact Annie Hayes at ahayes@colgate.edu.