LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Brandeis University men's tennis team narrowly suffered their first loss of the season today, as the Judges – ranked 20th in Division III by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) – dropped a 5-4 decision to 12th-ranked Pomona-Pitzer. The Judges fall to 3-1 on the season, while the Sagehens improve to 6-1.
The Judges opened the match strong by sweeping doubles action. Senior Jackson Kogan (Pacific Palisades, Calif. / Windward School) and junior Tyler Ng (Great Neck, N.Y./Great Neck South) took the first point, 8-2, while rookies Nikhil Das (Smithfield, R.I. / Moses Brown School) and Rajan Vohra (Glen Head, N.Y. / North Shore) were 8-6 winners at No. 3. The Judges completed the sweep at No. 1, where rookie Anupreeth Coramutla (Monroe Township, N.J. / Phillips Andover) and sophomore David Aizenberg (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) – the ninth-ranked team in Division III – completed the sweep 8-4.
In singles action, the first three matches were all decided in straight sets and went to the Sagehens. Sam Malech knocked off Vohra, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, at No. 4, followed by a 7-5, 6-4, win by Jacob Schoenherr over Das at No. 5. Pomona-Pitzer tied it up at No. 2, where Octave Bellet downed Aizenberg, 6-3, 7-5.
The remaining three matches all went to three sets, as the eventual winners all rallied from dropping the opening set. Sophomore Benjamin Wolfe (Blue Bell, Pa./Wissahickon) picked up Brandeis's fourth point at No. 6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Marko Mandic knocked off Ng at No. 3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, to tie the match again for Pomona-Pitzer, and the Sagehens completed the rally and their third 5-4 win of the season as Jed Kronenberg – ranked 17th in Division III - topped Kogan, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
The Judges return from their California trip with a 3-1 record. They are back in action on Saturday, March 3, at home in Waltham against 19th-ranked Bates College.