YU Tennis Macs Finished With 7 Wins

Team Saddened But Hopeful

In the past, the Yeshiva University tennis team has been used to winning, as the last four seasons' tennis teams have not lost a match. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. For the first time in five years, YU's tennis Macs suffered the anguish of losing - three times.

The top four ranked players on the undefeated teams of former years were no longer on the team this year. Additionally, this year's team was filled with a whopping seven first-year players. The team was no longer able to keep the streak alive.

Most teams would be proud to boast a 7-3 record, but for the tennis Macs, that is just not acceptable. Shai Samet, one of the team's stars during its undefeated streak, expressed his "disbelief" when he heard of the first loss, and said that he was unable to sleep that night. One former player recently remarked, "It was understood. We were going to win. Losing was not an option."

Is all hope lost? Can the tennis team recover? Many say yes. While 7-3 is definitely not as impressive as the traditional 10-0, the team's accomplishments this year should not be overlooked. The team's co-captains, Steve Langer and Jeff Taub, fared extremely well in the number one and three slots, despite having played the five and six slots last year. The number two position was filled in by Micha Porat, who surprised everybody with his emergence as a dominant player, losing only two singles matches.

Adam Cohen and Ari Ellenberg, two first year players, have steadily improved this season in the fourth and fifth positions. Other team members this year included Yonatan Bendheim, Joseph Weilgus, Adam Aftergut, Jonathan Kestenbaum, Edo Jacobawitz, Eric Taub, Jon Laoui, and Dorian Levy. Though most of these players did not see much competition this year, their steady improvement was noteworthy. In fact, in the last match of the season, against Bard College, Levy and Eric Taub dominated their opponents in the fifth and sixth slots respectively. Coach John Bandler was extremely pleased, remarking after the match, "Dorian, you're going to play next year!"

While a 7-3 season may seem bleak in light of the successes of previous seasons, YU tennis fans should not despair. This season indicated that much can be expected from next year's team. While the team will lose its leader, Steve Langer, as well as Bendheim, and Weilgus to graduation this year, nine players will be returning next year, with five of them coming back the year after. This promises to keep the flame of YU tennis burning strongly, hopefully allowing Samet to sleep soundly once again.