MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury Union High School boys’ tennis team defeated visiting Montpelier, 5-2, on Saturday to complete a 3-0 week and improve to 7-0.
The Tigers’ remaining three matches come against teams they have defeated, putting an undefeated regular season within reach. Earlier last week, the Tigers defeated host North Country, 5-0, on Wednesday, and host U-32, 4-3, on Tuesday.
Coach Ken Schoen calls the Tigers “a wonderful team, the best in many years,” and praises their sportsmanship and character as well as their ability.
Schoen also noted the senior Nick Holmes, who plays at either No. 1 or No. 1; freshman No. 5 player Jesse Rubin; and the Tiger No. 1 doubles team of Ben Silver and Maxim Mayone are all undefeated.
Key points vs. the Solons came at No. 3 singles, where Ziven McCarty won a tiebreaker, and at No. 1 doubles, where Silver and Mayone also prevailed in a tiebreaker after dropping the first set.
The week’s closest call came vs. U-32 on Tuesday, where Rubin won a 15-13 tiebreaker at No. 5 with the overall match tied at 3-3 to give the Tigers the win.
Vs. the Solons on Wednesday:
• At No. 1 singles, Jon Fitzcharles lost, 7-5, 6-2.
• At No. 2 singles, Holmes won, 7-6, 6-4.
• At No. 3 singles, McCarty won, 7-6, 4-6, 1-0.
• At No. 4 singles, Joao Pedro Ribeiro lost, 6-1, 6-1.
• At No. 5 singles, Rubin won, 6-1, 6-2.
• At No. 1 doubles, Silver and Mayone won, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0.
• At No. 2 doubles, Ryan Miller and Drew Kiernan won, 6-1, 6-0.
At North Country on Wednesday, the Falcons forfeited both doubles matches. In singles:
• At No. 1, Holmes won, 6-1, 6-1.
• At No. 2, Owen Hammel won, 3-6, 6-1, 1-0.
• At No. 3, Ribeiro won, 6-3, 6-0.
• At No. 4, Mayone won, 6-2, 6-2.
• At No. 5, Miller won, 6-1, 6-0.