After a big win against Bucknell last weekend, Colgate headed into Sunday’s matchup against Lafayette riding a wave of momentum. The Raiders swept the Leopards 7-0, dropping just one set on the day. Colgate now boasts a 13-5 overall record as they prepare for the Patriot League Tournament. 

Head coach Bobby Pennington was forced to make adjustments for this match, with senior captain Tom Haile unavailable for the lineup. Haile has typically been paired with sophomore Jacob Daugherty at No. 1 doubles. Rather than shuffle the majority of the doubles lineups, Pennington elected to keep the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles pairings the same, inserting first-year Noah Rosenblat as Haile’s replacement. The new pairing fared exceptionally well, especially considering this was Rosenblat’s first time playing alongside Daugherty, and the fact that Rosenblat has been a singles specialist this season. Daugherty and Rosenblat defeated sophomore Chris Kim and first-year Matthew DeBenedetto 6-3. Senior Nick Laub and junior Bobby Alter beat sophomore Mason Keel and senior Chris Matturri 6-3 at the No. 2 spot. Juniors Win Reynolds and Jake Hirschberg cruised through their match at No. 3 doubles against senior Gavin Studner and first-year Andrew Reed 6-3. 

Daugherty bounced back from a rare loss last week to demolish Matturri at No. 1 singles 6-0, 6-3. Laub recovered after dropping the first set to beat Studner 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Rosenblat continued his late spring dominance, crushing Reed 6-2, 6-2. 

“After Boston, some switch went off [for Rosenblat], and he has decimated his last three opponents. He’s a lot more aggressive, and he’s coming into his own. He’s more aggressive on his groundstrokes, and generally looks a lot more comfortable and confident out there,” Pennington said. 

In fact, Rosenblat has not dropped more than two games in any of his past three singles matches. He seems to be breaking opponents’ serve far more easily in the latter half of the season, something that may be attributed to settling into the increased pace of college tennis. With less pressure to hold serve, he’s been able to play a riskier style of tennis, which seems to suit his game better. 

Alter double bageled his opponent, beating De Bendetto at No. 4 singles 6-0, 6-0. Hirschberg had no trouble taking down Keel 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Due to time constrains, Reynolds played a pro set against Kim for the No. 6 spot, securing the sweep for the Raiders after an 8-1 win. 

The Raiders host their final regular season match this Saturday against Loyola at the J.W. Abrahamson tennis courts, where a win would most likely secure a No. 4 seeding for the postseason. Colgate managed to beat the Greyhounds 5-2 last season, but that was a Colgate team that did not feature nearly as much depth or confidence as this one. With a current league record of 3-2, the Raiders would likely play Boston University or Lehigh if the season finishes without any upsets. While Pennington is not underestimating Loyola by any means, it is difficult not to look ahead to the potential postseason match ups, and the opportunity to avenge the two 4-3 losses the Raiders suffered to BU and Lehigh earlier this season.

“As a potential top four seed, we would probably be playing Lehigh or Boston. I’d like to play one of those two teams,” Pennington said. 

Indeed, the Raiders lost these two matches by just a few individual singles points, and with the newfound confidence of the middle part of the ladder, one figures a rematch against either of these teams favors the Raiders. For now, however, the Raiders must focus on securing the best seed possible by taking care of Loyola. Come out and support Colgate as they honor their seniors this Saturday.