Last Saturday, the men’s tennis team opened their spring season, competing against Allegheny College and Carnegie Mellon University. The Yeomen won their match against Allegheny 5–2, but lost to Carnegie Mellon 2–5. Despite losing to CMU, the win against Allegheny and the high level of play all around marked a strong start for the team.
The afternoon began against CMU, the #18 ranked team in the country. The Yeomen had a bit of trouble out of the gate, losing all three doubles matches 1–6, 2–6, and 0–6, respectively. Then, in the singles matches, third-year Enrique Margain and first-year Cameron Weiss both squeaked out wins, but no other teammates were able to come away with a victory.
This year, the Yeomen’s two victories marked improvement after being swept by CMU last season.
Later that afternoon in the match against Allegheny, the Yeomen dominated in doubles. Fourth-year Shawn Lisann and first-year Dash Smith won their match 6–4. Margain and Weiss followed suit, winning their match 6–3. And finally, fourth-year Sebastien Naginski and third-year Zain Makada defeated their opponents 6–4. Then, in the singles matches, Smith, Makada, Margain, and second-year Max Brose all emerged victorious, earning Oberlin the win overall.
“Last year we were very young, with about half the roster made up of freshmen, and this year we added two new players who [have been] immediately impactful,” Margain wrote in an email to the Review. “This year, most of the matches against Carnegie were highly competitive. … That performance reinforces our confidence and sets a strong foundation that will continue to build as the season goes on.”
Early on, the additions of first-years Weiss and Smith, along with upperclassmen leadership, put the Yeomen in a position to be successful.
“This is a very hardworking team that has some great tennis ahead of it,” Head Coach Eric Ishida wrote in an email to the Review. “With strong leadership from Shawn Lisann, James Foster, and Seb Naginski, we have some strong role models for the younger players to strive toward.”
Weiss remarked that confidence is a major factor in whether a match is won or lost — and that’s one area where the team can help each other.
“Our energy is super high; we’re just loud in general,” Weiss said. “That energy being super high helps everybody to play better. … Everybody gets hyped up, and it feels like it’s a huge deal, and everybody rises to the occasion.”
Margain echoed this sentiment.
“Team connection and support are huge factors for us,” he wrote. “Everyone playing had someone focused on them and invested in their success. That level of engagement and energy was something other teams did not consistently have, and it made a real difference in momentum and confidence.”
Although the Yeomen did well in the doubles matches against Allegheny, it was a weak point in the match against CMU.
“[We need] better communication, stronger chemistry, and [to make] tactical adjustments that fit the doubles game rather than singles,” Margain wrote. “We have shown before that we can be a strong doubles team. Last year, we earned a big doubles win against Denison University, the eventual NCAA champion, which shows our potential. It is more about consistency and execution, and with continued reps, that progress will come.”
According to Weiss, the tactical adjustments that Margain mentioned are a key part of the team’s mindset.
“[We have] the mindset of ‘fight for every ball, chase down everything, there’s no giving up on anything, compete at the highest level as long as you can,’” Weiss said. “Hopefully, things turn around. Maybe a few changes in strategy, whether it’s Eric or one of my teammates coming up to me and telling me something they notice, or we’re talking about a strategy change on a changeover — that [could be] effective to turn [the match] around.”
The Yeomen hope to improve their 1–1 record today against Rhodes College. After that, they will look toward their first home matches later this weekend: Saturday, they take on Lake Forest College, and on Sunday, they face the University of Rochester.
