In order for the men’s tennis team to pull off a victory in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, it will need a run reminiscent of Davidson University’s in the NCAA this year.
Like Davidson, the Billikens enter the tournament as the No. 10 seed after concluding their season with a loss to Illinois State. Head Coach Jonathan Zych, though, refuses to count his team out of the conference title race.
“There are 10 teams that could win the whole thing, and we are one of them,” Zych said.
Finishing with an 8-9 record, the Bills stumbled at the end of the season, dropping four of their last five matches. Their first-round opponent at the A-10s will be No. 7 St. Joseph’s today.
“Like last year, we’re going into this tournament as the underdog,” senior team member Paul Feder said. “This is the best team we’ve had in the four years I’ve been here, so I’m excited to prove to the A-10 Conference how good we really are.”
If the Billikens upset St. Joseph’s and advance, they will face Xavier-a team that nearly swept the Billikens, 6-1, in February.
Because of the Bills’ “superior training” this year, Zych said that doubles play could be the advantage his team needs in the tournament. Doubles teams went 36-36 overall this season, compared to the 69-84 overall singles record.
The Saint Louis University team, which faced top teams, including Drake (then No. 51 nationally) and Hawaii-Pacific, will be stronger in the tourney because of its tough schedule, Zych said.
While the high-level competition has led to a less-than-stellar record this season, it has also led to a large number of closely contested matches. The Bills have proven their grace under pressure, though, winning five of seven matches that were decided by one point.
“Winning those matches is an advantage, because all the teams in our conference are so close in ability,” Feder said. “Being in [these situations] more often helps you prepare for the next time you have them. So, since we’ve had seven, we’ll be prepared.”
Holding a 3-7 record in matches decided by more than one point shows how important it is for the Billikens to get off to a good start and keep the match close. If they fall behind too quickly, they could find themselves in the consolation bracket like last year.
Feder, who finished the season 11-9 in singles and amassed 10 doubles victories, said he and the other two seniors (Felipe Acosta and Marcus Fadul) look forward to going out on a positive note.
“The camaraderie that we have as a team is unlike any other team I’ve been a part of,” Feder said. “Other [SLU] players don’t want to win for themselves; they want to win for the team. And during the most important times is really when you see that.”
This year’s tournament, will be held in Pittsburgh, with the championship match scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 6.
