Tied at three wins apiece entering the last round of play at the College Squash Association National Championships at Princeton this past weekend, the Conroy Division Championship between Tufts and Hobart came down to the final three matches.
After a victory by freshman Zach Schweitzer, Tufts was one win away from hoisting the Conroy Cup. But sophomore Michael Abboud and freshman Hugo Meggitt lost their matchups and Hobart walked off with the dramatic victory in the final, 5-4.
The two teams played to the same score in their previous meeting, but last time it was the Jumbos that came away with the win. Evidently, the Statesmen were out for a statement victory and revenge on the big stage at nationals.
"Hobart was really coming out to prove that they were better than us," sophomore Jeremy Ho said. "They came out really strong."
Even with Hobart's intensity, Tufts was able to build an early 2-1 lead on the strength of captain Henry Miller and Eli Borek, the two seniors in the top nine, who both ended their Tufts careers with convincing victories. The next win was secured by freshman Elliott Kardon, but two other Tufts losses set up the drama of the final round of competition.
After Abboud went down, the pressure of the final match fell on Meggitt, and he eventually fell to Hobart senior Grant Bercari in four sets.
"[I] had time to get off the court before any celebrations took place," Meggitt said. "[But] it definitely sucks to be the one to lose it."
"Everyone was just really intense, so when we saw the final point, everyone was definitely disappointed," Ho added. "You could see it on everyone's faces."
With the loss, the Jumbos also missed out on a chance to end the season with a .500 record, finishing at 10-12, including their two wins in the quarter- and semi-finals of the Conroy Division.
In the first round, Tufts cruised easily past MIT, 8-1, and in the semis, the team bested Georgetown, 5-4, in a match that was not as close as the final score indicated. Tufts jumped out to a 5-1 advantage, meaning that they had already sewn up the victory after the first six matches.
But the momentum gained from those two triumphs couldn't fuel Tufts past No. 26 Hobart, who came into the championships ranked one spot below Tufts. Because of the loss, the Jumbos will most likely wind up with that 26th spot at the end of the season, putting them one slot above last year's finish.
"Even though we got second place, it's still better than we did last year," Ho said. "It shows how much effort people are putting into really improving their games."
Ho, like so many of his teammates, still has multiple seasons remaining, which gives the Jumbos more chances to improve and vindicate this year's frustrating loss at nationals.
Throughout the competition, the five freshmen in the top nine found themselves matched up against seasoned veterans. In a year, that disparity won't seem so large — something Ho took into account when looking back on the team's campaign.
"Especially considering that this team [has] so many young players … it requires a whole different line of thinking. Everyone played well, and everyone improved," Ho said. "I don't think I could've expected any better from any of my teammates.
Schweitzer will advance to individual nationals on March 2, but for the rest of the team, the season is over, and the loss is a tough one to swallow.
Nonetheless, Meggitt is optimistic about the future and looking ahead to next year.
"We know there's going to be other opportunities," he said.
