The men’s team got off to a slow start against a formidable opponent in the Midshipmen (21-13, 1-0 Patriot League), who entered the match with a strong record of 20-12. The Hoyas (3-10, 1-2 Big East) lost the doubles point and went on to lose the first two matches of singles as sophomore Rohan Kamdar and senior Michael Chen fell to Navy’s top two players. This loss was uncharacteristic for Georgetown’s top players, as Kamdar and Chen have been stellar throughout the season. Chen won both a singles match at Lynn University and a doubles match over the University of Texas, Arlington so far this month.
With their backs pressed up against the wall, the Hoyas went on a late run, as victory was still attainable at that point in the afternoon. Down 3-0, the men’s team won the next three matches with strong contributions made by Hoya underclassmen. Freshman Andrew Rozanov (6-1, 6-3), sophomore Connor Lee (6-4, 6-0) and freshman Luke Ross (6-3, 6-4) each won consecutively at the No. 4, No. 3 and No. 6 spots to give the Hoyas a legitimate chance to win with only sophomore Charlie Sharton still on the courts.
Unfortunately, Sharton lost 6-7, 3-6 and extended the Hoyas’ losing streak to seven matches in a 4-3 defeat. While this heartbreaking loss will sting for a substantial amount of time, the team showed a lot of grit to come back from an early deficit. Additionally, all of the winners for Georgetown in this match have at least two more years on the team, which certainly bodes well for the future of the program.
The women faced the same struggles that have plagued them this year, as they dropped the doubles point and could not acquire enough momentum to recover from the slow start against the Spiders (7-6, 2-1 Atlantic 10). Although Georgetown (2-12, 1-4 Big East) got off to a strong start in five of the six singles matches, only one of the women, senior Risa Nakagawa, was able to maintain the start as she converted it into an eventual 7-5, 6-1 victory.
Freshman Elena De Santis led the team by winning the first set 6-1, yet she lost her rhythm, dropping the next two sets 6-4, 7-5. Junior Anna Short experienced a nearly identical momentum swing at the five slot, eventually losing 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
While the matches did not end up reaching the end and thus no victor was decided upon, sophomore Sofie Moenster was in a great position to win with a 3-0 lead in hand in the third decisive set, while senior Cecilia Lynham had won the first set and only trailed 5-4 in the second, indicating that she also had a strong opportunity to win were the match to continue.
The 4-1 loss was not the result Georgetown was hoping for, but the strong starts to each of the individual matches, as well as the Hoyas who had set themselves up in positions to succeed in the two unfinished matches, indicate that the team can change directions with a few matches left in the season.
Both teams will look to end their winless droughts in the coming days. The men next take to the court on the road against William and Mary on Tuesday, April 2. The women’s team next competes against cross-town rival George Washington on Friday, April 5.
