The men's tennis team went 11-7 overall in the fall and spring seasons, marking the program's highest win total since 1996. After reaching the NESCAC Championships for the first time since the tournament's inception in 2006, Tufts fell to Bowdoin 5-1 in the first round.
Tufts qualified for the tournament despite losing its final regular-season match 5-4 to Bates. In a three-team tiebreaker among Tufts, Trinity and Bates, the Jumbos and Bantams were selected for tournament play.
"We were really excited to make the tournament," rising junior Andrew Lutz said. "Especially after having lost to Bates — had we won that we would have clinched — we didn't control our own destiny. We felt we deserved that No. 5 seed."
The Jumbos entered the first-round match as the underdogs against the No. 4-seeded Polar Bears, who beat Tufts in the regular season, 8-1. They once again had no answer for Bowdoin, falling 5-1 with three matches not needing to be finished.
The afternoon began with rising senior Kai Victoria and Lutz losing 8-3 at No. 1 doubles and rising junior Mark Westerfield and rising senior co-captain Morrie Bossen dropping their match 8-4 in No. 2 doubles. The efforts of graduating senior co-captain Paul Kohnstamm and rising senior Sam Laber in the No. 3 doubles match presented Tufts with its lone victory of the day in a well-fought 8-6 decision.
"We had a tough match in Bowdoin," Lutz said. "We knew going in we'd have to take at least two doubles to have a shot. However, doubles just didn't go our way. Kai and I were outmatched at [No.] 1 and our No. 2 guys felt the same way. Paul and Sam were great, but that's all we got."
Tufts' day only became darker as the singles matches started and finished quickly. At No. 1, Victoria fell 6-0, 6-1. In the No. 3 match, rising junior Ben Barad lost 6-1, 6-2. The No. 4 match was the last of the day as rising sophomore Pat Monaghan tumbled 6-1, 6-1. In the unfinished matches, rising sophomore Austin Blau and Laber both were behind one set while Lutz was up a set.
"With the strength of Bowdoin's singles players, going down in doubles really hurt us," Bossen said. "Their players who won quickly are amongst the best at their respective position in all of the NESCAC."
Still, the Jumbos admit that they were not on top of their game.
"Unfortunately, in singles play, Kai, Ben and Pat didn't have their best days," Lutz said. "The score is the score; it doesn't look pretty, but who knows, if all the matches had been played out it could have been 6-3."
This offseason, the team's expectations for itself and its national reputation should soar from recent years. The Jumbos began the season ranked 14th in the Northeast Region and finished sixth. Additionally, Tufts started the year without a national ranking and, having made the NESCAC championship, will likely earn a spot in the final rankings. Looking back, the team considers this season a great success and stepping stone for the program to move forward.
"It was nice to have that experience and make NESCACs," Lutz said. "We now know the level we need to play at to get there and the level we need to play at to win in the tournament."
"I'm very happy we made it to NESCACs," Bossen said. "Obviously I'm disappointed how we lost to Bowdoin. However, this should be our baseline goal for next season."
The loss of graduating seniors Kohnstamm and Tony Carucci will be a tough hole for the Jumbos to fill. However, Bossen expects rising sophomore standouts Blau and Monaghan to move into a more prominent role at the top of the lineup for next season.
"I think we've got some expectations for next season," Bossen said. "Individually, given their talent, I'm interested to see how our two freshmen improve. As a team, our outlook is very positive. We should get a higher national and regional ranking and return to the NESCAC tourney."
