With the start of the spring semester comes another exciting season for the Colgate University’s men’s tennis team. As the Raiders prepare for a packed season, culminating in the Patriot League Tournament, they have a lot to look forward to as they face off against tough competitors.
The team consists of six singles players and three doubles pairs, with matches set in a seven-point format. Each singles match is worth one point, while two doubles wins combine to earn one point.
Currently, the Raiders are 2-2. Their first two games led to a narrow 3-4 loss to Duquesne University, followed by a come-back 4-3 victory against Saint Francis College.
Senior co-captain Aidan Lee, who plays singles on the team, gave his thoughts on how the season has played out so far.
“We had two really tough matches our first weekend,” Lee said. “But hopefully we can build off of our recent win against Saint Francis with two great opportunities against Siena and Niagara this weekend.”
These two matches set up the team to continue carrying this strong momentum and hopefully secure a winning record. Securing more wins throughout the regular season allows the team to have a higher seed in tournaments, putting them in a better overall position.
Coach Bobby Pennington, who has been the head tennis coach at Colgate for the past twenty years, described some of the strengths of the team and culture.
“We have an acronym called DDC, which stands for doubles, depth, and culture,” Pennington said. “And it’s these three strengths within our team that we go off of.”
The Colgate men’s team is known for having very strong doubles, and when he speaks about depth, Coach Pennington refers to having players on the team who are all relatively equally matched in skill level. It gives an overall well-roundedness to the team, as all players can really challenge one another in practice.
The positive culture of the team allows it to be a tight-knit community of players who support one another on and off the court. Through this strong team culture, the players can work cohesively with one another towards common goals and keep getting wins this season.
Senior co-captain John Fazli said the team has lofty goals for the season.
“Our goals are to have a winning record and advance in the Patriot League Tournament, making the semifinals at least,” Fazli said. “We are working like Dobermans to get there.”
The Patriot League Tournament is an annual end-of-season championship for NCAA Division I tennis teams. Schools across the Northeast participate in this event, and it serves as an exciting end to the tennis season. Champions of this tournament go on to Nationals, and in past seasons, Colgate has come close to making it.
Pennington further spoke about his goals and what he envisions for the team this season.
“Last year we had a great season, and we want to build off of that,” Pennington said. “Goals-wise, we want a winning record, a high conference seed in the tournament, to advance in the Patriot League tournament, and to really maximize our ability in what we have in front of us.”
This season serves as an especially meaningful one for the seniors who will be representing Colgate one last time on the courts.
Lee described his excitement for the last few months of his senior season.
“I am looking forward to getting to compete with my teammates one last time, and to hopefully finish with a win in the Patriot League Tournament,” Lee said.
The Patriot League Tournament will definitely be an exhilarating finale to the season. But no matter the result, through wins and losses, it is the team that centers the player that makes each moment on the court count.
Keep an eye out for the Colgate men’s tennis team as they continue battling it out on the court, and hopefully, there will be more than love on those score cards.
