After suffering a 9-0 defeat at the hands of No. 7 Middlebury in their spring season opener on March 16, the Jumbos wiped the slate clean and headed down to Hilton Head, S.C., where they went 2-3 in five matches.
The Jumbos began the trip on March 19 with a blowout victory of their own, defeating Frostburg State 9-0 without dropping a single set.
They set the tone right away, sweeping the six singles and three doubles matches with ease and conceding just 17 games over the course of the contest - an average of less than two games per match.
Among the day's many highlights were the performances of sophomore Jake Lazarus, who surrendered only two games in his match, and classmate Matt Pataro, who lost a combined three games in his singles and doubles matches.
Not to be outdone, sophomore Austin Blau and the doubles pair of juniors Jeff Taylor and Andrew McHugh each shut out their opponents.
In their second contest of the day, the Jumbos lost a close one to Carleton College, 5-4. They grabbed the lead initially, taking two of three doubles matches, but the Knights won the second through fifth singles matches for a come-from-behind victory.
While the loss was a tough one to swallow for the Jumbos, who believed the win was well within their reach, the individual tenacity displayed in defeat did not go unnoticed.
"Watching Matt Pataro against Carleton ... fight through cramps showed how tough [he is]," senior co-captain MorrieBossen said.
The Jumbos' contest the following day would prove no kinder, as the College of Coastal Georgia handed them their second consecutive 5-4 defeat. Tufts nearly swept the doubles portion, but Pataro and senior co-captain Sam Laber lost a heartbreaker, 9-8. The Jumbos couldn't get a firm enough grasp on the singles matches - they lost two in three sets - and were unable to secure the win.
Blau and Laber won in the No. 2 and No. 4 spots, respectively, the latter earning the victory when his opponent was forced to retire. But the Jumbos wavered after that, dropping the other four matches and losing once again in come-from-behind fashion.
"We had many opportunities to win that match," Blau said.
Tufts dropped a third straight match two days later, which perhaps was to be expected against 27th-ranked University of Chicago.
Barad was the lone bright spot that day, taking his match at first singles, 6-2, 2-6, 10-6, after the Maroons had already clinched the victory.
The Jumbos bounced back in their final match of spring break on Friday, thumping Graceland University by a score of 8-1 while surpassing the .500 mark to move to 5-4 overall between the fall and spring seasons.
Aside from losing the No. 1 doubles matchup, the Jumbos were in complete control. Freshman Brian Tan lost just one game in his match in the No. 4 singles spot, as did No. 3 Pataro. The doubles team of Bossen and junior Mark Westerfield blanked their opponent, while Tan played third doubles with Blau and dominated, 8-1.
For all the ups and downs they experienced over break, the Jumbos took a great deal away from the experience and know what they need to do to prepare for a couple of crucial NESCAC battles.
"Maintaining the high level of energy over break and fine tuning small things in practice [will be important]," Bossen said. "We are all looking forward to our home matches against Conn. College on Thursday and against Wesleyan on Sunday."
