The Colby men’s tennis team hosted Bates College at the Harold Alfond Athletic Center Sunday afternoon in an important matchup. In the Mules’ last match of the regular season, Colby had to win to advance to the NESCAC tournament and join postseason play. It was also Colby’s Senior Day, adding to the importance of the match. With five seniors graduating this spring, the soon-to-be graduates and other Mules did not disappoint.
Colby struck first in doubles play, cruising to victory 6–1 at the #3 spot, led by captain Josh Kaplan `25 and Diego Sosa `28. The duo returned tremendously and enforced their presence at the net, putting away volleys throughout the set. Clinching the doubles point for the Mules were Aidan Kwong `26 and Marco Ziets-Segura `28. The duo responded well from a tough loss the day prior, winning 6–2 against their Bobcats opponents. Rounding things off for Colby were captain Jake Cohen `25 and Jason Daly `28. The duo returned to action after Cohen had been out of the match the day before due to illness. They won a tight 6–4 contest against tricky Bates opponents, completing the sweep of doubles for Colby.
In singles play, the dual match was neck and neck. With Cohen recovering from illness, he could not play singles, so every player moved up a spot. Daly was the first to finish, dominating his Bates opponent 6–2, 6–1 in an impressive display at the #1 position. Despite never playing at the top spot before this weekend, Daly showed no signs of nerves, securing an impressive 12th win of the season.
Bates then answered with straight set victories at the #3 and #6 spots, tying the dual match up at 2-2. Sosa found himself in a battle at the #2 spot, with his result being very important in the overall matchup. After playing a solid first set, Sosa found himself up 6–3 against his Bates opponent. However, after his opponent raised his level in the second set, mixing in strategic serve and volley play, the Colby first-year found himself in a hole down 1–5. Many would have given up hopes of coming back and started mentally preparing for the third set, but not Sosa.
Facing a 1–5 set deficit and down multiple set points, the first-year pulled off a miraculous comeback, winning six games in a row to win the set 7–5 and bring the Mules ahead in the dual match 3-2, just one win away from victory. Sosa went into lockdown mode from the baseline, giving his opponent no errors and making him earn every point, clawing his way back into the second set. The win was a massive momentum shift in the match, giving the Mules hope they could pull it out.
With Colby just one match away from victory and a spot in the playoffs, Kwong stepped up to the plate and seized his opportunity. The junior, like so many others, has been on the wrong side of clinches in past matches and was determined not to let that happen again. He played a complete match, dictating play with his groundstrokes and excellent movement. He did not budge at all as the match came close to an end, winning 6–1, 6–2 at the #4 spot. When the match ended, Kwong’s teammates rushed the court to celebrate the win with him. The Mules secured the dual match against Bates, clinching a spot in the NESCAC tournament for a fourth straight season.
At the end of the day, Colby defeated Bates by a score of 4 to 3. With the win, the Mules enter the NESCAC tournament as the #8 seed and will take on the #1 seed, Tufts. Colby will play Tufts on Friday morning at Middlebury College.
In a season filled with so many ups and downs, including multiple injuries and roster shakeups, the win was surely one of the most fulfilling in the coaching career of Adam Reeb. The Mules did not get off to the start they were looking for in the beginning of the season, but the team stayed positive, working hard and improving each week throughout the season, despite tough results. The determination and hard work paid off in the end, and the Mules have a ticket to the postseason yet again.
-Jake Cohen `25
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