The University of Redlands men's tennis team relied on its senior leadership and overall depth during the 2011 campaign, culminating in a final national ranking of No. 15 among all NCAA Division III programs. The Bulldogs' difficult schedule forced them to be tested at every turn, resulting in a 13-12 overall mark and a 6-3 showing for third place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC). The program also collected various individual awards and successes while sending off a dedicated class of veterans.
In an effort to maintain a high-caliber team, Head Coach Geoff Roche consistently creates a challenging slate of opponents for the Bulldogs. This year was no different, as the team faced off against nine of the nation's top 25, including every program among the top five.
After handily defeating Hope International University, Redlands hit a three-match skid against formidable foe UC San Diego and NAIA counterparts Point Loma Nazarene University and Biola University.
Nonetheless, the Bulldogs entered conference competition more than prepared to take care of business. The Maroon and Gray posted back-to-back 9-0 victories, taking down Occidental College and Caltech. Against the Tigers, the Redlands players dropped no more than three games apiece, cruising to victory with stellar efficiency. During the Caltech match, the Bulldogs gave up only six games in three doubles victories with the No. 3 tandem of sophomore Darren Dahl (Westlake Village, CA) and senior Casey Fashouer (Arlington, VA) leading the charge with their 8-0 shutout. In addition, the lineup included senior Leif Durley (Fresno, CA), who rattled off a 6-0, 6-0 showing at the No. 5 spot in his season debut.
This propelled Redlands into a "March Madness" experience of its own, starting with a solid 7-2 victory over No. 27 Mary Washington University (VA) in an important Division III showdown. After sweeping the doubles matches, the Bulldogs captured the first four singles points in straight sets to secure the victory.
However, the team's momentum stopped there when it dropped matches to a trio of top-ranked opponents. Striving for the upset, the Bulldogs fell short against No. 4 Emory University (GA), No. 6 UC Santa Cruz, and No. 2 Amherst College (MA). However, junior Mark Bloom (San Juan Capistrano, CA) provided a consistent force for Redlands during this stretch, winning all of his singles matches as part of a personal 11-match win streak.
Redlands returned to the win column on March 18 by downing No. 24 Skidmore College (NY) with a 6-3 decision. The Bulldogs garnered a 2-1 lead after the doubles and then captured the first four singles matches to secure the win.
This solid showing instigated a pair of 8-1 victories over Willamette University (WA) and Linfield College (OR) in a home doubleheader against the regional foes just one day later.
Unfortunately, the one that go away was against No. 14 Trinity College (CT) when the Bulldogs missed out on multiple chances to seal the upset, resulting in a disappointing 4-5 loss.
The Maroon and Gray posted a 2-2 showing in the final bouts of "March Madness," earning critical wins over Chapman University and No. 27 Gustavus Adolphus College (MN). After taking an early 3-0 lead against the Panthers, the Bulldogs clinched the overall win when senior Jeff Casserd (Bellevue, WA) and Bloom rolled to two-set victories while giving up a combined four games in their singles matches.
The team also showed off its competitive heart during a hotly-contested battle against top-ranked Middlebury College (VT). With the match scored tied at one all, the No. 3 duo of seniors Keven Wong (Kaneohe, HI) and Jeff Hammond (Mercer Island, WA) overcame a significant deficit by rattling off four unanswered games and eventually recorded an inspiring 9-8(3) victory for the Bulldogs. However, Middlebury surged to a 4-2 lead with three straight singles wins before Wong provided new life for the Bulldogs with his 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 showing at No. 6. Although the 6-3 decision went in favor of its Northeast counterparts, Redlands put up a valiant fight against the No. 1 team in the nation.
During the month of April, the Bulldogs wrapped up the round-robin schedule of conference competition. After dropping a hard-fought 4-5 decision to eighth-ranked Pomona-Pitzer Colleges, Redlands posted a 6-2 victory over No. 18 Cal Lutheran University. With bitter winds and the threat of rain demanding an efficient match, Redlands stepped up to the challenge by winning five of the first six points en route to the important triumph. As the weather became more ominous, Dahl closed out the match with a 6-1, 6-3 victory at No. 4 singles.
The team fell to No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps before celebrating Senior Day with a 9-0 thrashing of Whittier College. With a 3-0 sweep in doubles, the Bulldogs cruised to victory at every singles slot, making quick work of the Poets. Wong officially clinched the win with his 6-1, 6-3 display at No. 4.
Seeded third in the SCIAC Tournament, Redlands took care of Occidental in the opening round by winning the first five points. Senior Cameron Spearman (Laguna Niguel, CA) and Bloom both recorded victories in their respective doubles and singles matches, accounting for nearly all of the team's final score.
During the semifinal match against Pomona-Pitzer, sweet revenge was not in the cards for the Maroon and Gray, which came up short by a score of 2-7 in their second outing against the Sagehens. After nabbing a 2-1 lead in doubles, Redlands continued to control the momentum by winning the opening sets in five of the six singles matches. However, Pomona-Pitzer refused to go away and eventually closed out five three-setters en route to the Bulldogs' disappointing defeat.
As a staple among the top-three finishers in the history of the SCIAC, the Bulldogs refused to tarnish Redlands' long-standing tradition and stepped up with a 6-3 finale over Cal Lutheran in the third-place match. With a 4-2 lead, the Maroon and Gray looked to sophomore Anish Nanda (Cerritos, CA) to clinch the Bulldogs' deciding point with a 6-2, 6-2 win at the No. 6 slot.
For their efforts during the conference season, Spearman garnered his third First-Team All-SCIAC honor of his tenure, while sophomore Connor Hyde (Peterborough, NH) and Bloom landed on the Second Team for the first time their respective careers.
The Bulldogs' success continued with individual highlights at the 111th Ojai Valley Tournament in late April. The senior duo of Hammond and Wong finished out their tenures with a memorable experience at this historical event, capturing the Division III Doubles Championship with an impressive run of victories that included knocking off the nation's No. 1 doubles duo.
In addition, Spearman and Casserd represented the Bulldogs at the NCAA Doubles Championship, earning All-America honors with their quarterfinal appearance. They finished their final season at Redlands as the No. 11 doubles duo among all of Division III. Spearman also landed 38th for singles.
As a team, the Bulldogs collected ITA All-Academic status for posting a combined team GPA of 3.2 or higher. Individually, Durley, Hammond, Nanda, and junior Michael Jacobson (Chicago, IL) earned Scholar-Athlete recognition from the ITA.
With the departure of eight seniors, the Bulldog men's tennis team certainly faces a significant void to fill in the upcoming campaign. However, Redlands lives by a steady and consistent standard of excellence that demands the best of its players. With Roche continuing his tenure at the helm, the Bulldogs look to their returning crew of talent to set the tone for the future of the program.