Men’s Tennis
It’s always nice to start the season off with some solid wins.
The Princeton men’s tennis team had an excellent beginning to the season, defeating both Air Force and the University of Denver teams in its trip out west to Colorado. The Air Force Falcons were clearly no match for the Tigers—Princeton steamrollered its opponents to the tune of 7-0.
The next day, the Tigers came out with the same kind of intensity, making quick work of Denver. The match was expected to be closer than the previous day’s, given that the two teams are rather close in the national rankings (Tigers at no. 61, Denver at no. 63 going into the weekend). Indeed, Denver managed to take an early lead after defeating Princeton in the doubles point. Nevertheless, the Tigers regained control from there on out, winning five of the six singles matches and finishing the day with a score of 5-2. Most impressive was senior Zack McCourt’s straight-sets victory over ranked opponent Henry Craig.
It certainly is promising for the Tigers to open on the road and get two resounding victories. Coach Billy Pate himself remarked how collected the team remained even after falling under pressure. “[They] played a very good team on their home courts with fast conditions and really showed some poise,” Pate said.
With the win, the Tigers move up in ranking from no. 61 to no. 57. They remain home for their next three matches, going up against College of William and Mary, Bucknell University and Furman University this FridayandSaturday.
Women’s Tennis
The women’s tennis team has struggled as it opens its season, coming out on bottom in its first four matches.
Making stops in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and the cities of Stanford and Moraga in California, the Tigers saw their ranking slip from no. 35 to no. 54 because of their losses. The first two matches were both hard-fought affairs. In the first, against Virginia Tech, Princeton fell behind early by losing the doubles point, and was ultimately unable to catch up, splitting the singles matches 3-3. The following match against Syracuse University saw the opposite problem: the Tigers came out strongin this one, taking the doubles point early on. However, the Syracuse Orange came storming back, putting the Tigers away by winning four straight singles matches.
Given that Virginia Tech and Syracuse were ranked no. 56 and no. 57, respectively, the Tigers’ hit in the rankings comes as no surprise. With these matches behind them, the team travelled out west to face powerhouse Stanford University (ranked no. 8) and Saint Mary’s College of California. The match against Stanford proved as tough as expected, with the Tigers managing to get just one win in seven matches.
The match against Saint Mary’s proved to be the closest of the entire trip. The Tigers appeared to have taken the driver’s seat early on by winning the doubles point. After alternating wins and losses in the singles matches portion, the Tigers were leading 3-2 going into the final matches. Saint Mary’s then took over, winning in the last two games and triumphing over the still winless Tigers.
Despite a disappointing beginning, the Tigers have ample opportunity to help put their road trip behind them. This weekend, they not only travel to Ithaca, New York to play Dartmouth and Brown, but will also compete in the ECAC (Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference) championship.
Read More
Princeton Men’s golf falls just short in Ivy League Championships
Matthew YiDespite coming close, a tough round three and poor weather conditions led to the Tigers losing to Yale in the men's Ivy League Golf Championships
Despite coming close, a tough round three and poor weather conditions led to the Tigers losing out to Yale in the men's Ivy League Golf Championships
On senior night, No. 21 Princeton men’s lacrosse secures a dominant win over No. 12 Penn
Lily PampolinaWith a massive win over a ranked opponent, the Tigers will head to New Haven next week in hopes of sealing their Ivy League tournament berth.
With a massive win over a ranked opponent, the Tigers will head to New Haven next week in hopes of sealing their Ivy League tournament berth.
Senior Day Triumph: No. 17 Women’s Lacrosse overpowers Dartmouth
Hayk YengibaryanThe Tigers held a dominant 9–0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back en route to a 17–11 victory. Sophomore attacker Haven Dora had a career-high eight points and tied the single-game record for assists with six.
The Tigers held a dominant 9–0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back en route to a 17–11 victory. Sophomore attacker Haven Dora had a career-high eight points and tied the single-game record for assists with six.
