Drew Continues Tennis Dominance

MADISON, N.J. - For the eight consecutive season, but the first time in the Landmark Conference, Drew men’s team won the conference championship. The Rangers swept Catholic, 9-0, to maintain the legacy of excellence that began in 2000. Three big doubles points set the tone and the Rangers finished off the sweep with six hard fought singles matches.

Back in October, Drew travelled down to the Catholic Tennis Classic. The Rangers came back with more losses than wins, having been defeated at a number of key positions. The battle was lost, but the war was left to be won. Drew’s trio of experienced seniors, Vik Rao, Jon Pivor and Jason Woods, recognized the threat the Cardinals posed to The Streak and the seven straight conference titles.

“They beat us pretty soundly at the Catholic Tennis Classic back in the fall. Those losses were wake up calls for this team,” said Head Coach Jeff Brandes. “The seniors used that experience to bring the team together for the common goal of maintaining the legacy.”

In doubles play, those three seniors set the tone for the match, just like they set the tone for the season at the end of the fall. Teddy Woods and Alex “The Prince” Belfiore won a convincing point at second doubles with an 8-0 white wash. The Prince dominated at the net, pounding overhead after overhead away for points. As always, Woods played consistent and smart to help give Drew a lead after 20 minutes of play.

Spurred on by their teammates’ win in the court next to them, the senior pairing of Vik “Hollywood” Rao and Jon “Birdman” Pivor put up an impressive 8-3 win over Catholic’s first doubles, and Landmark Conference first team pairing, Andrew Kracht and John Dillon. Pivor and Rao had lost to the Cardinals second doubles team at the Classic in the fall, but proved that the work over the winter and spring was worth it.

Third doubles finished next as Sayed “Jambalaya” Saber and Victor “The Bulgarian Bomber” Kolarov built a quick 6-0 lead. The Catholic duo of Rich Shaeffer and Connor Donnelly fought back to 6-4 before Kolarov and Saber put away the match with two more games. The final game, the Rangers held serve after a number of ad-outs winning the final point with Saber serving and Kolarov finishing at the net.

Armed with a 3-0 lead, the singles play got going. The Prince jumped out to an early lead in his fourth singles match as he kept hitting great shots to take the first set 6-1. The second set was more of the same as Belfiore never let Shaeffer into the match and Drew had a 4-0 lead with the point.

Kolarov, two-time Landmark Conference Player of the Week, was cruising at sixth singles. After winning the first set, 6-3, the Bulgarian Bomber put away the match and clinched the Landmark Conference Championship with a 6-4 second set win. The big lefty pounded away from the baseline to earn Drew’s fifth point, an apropos victory as the Rangers’ depth has been a key to the season’s success.

The final four matches were all hard fought victories for the Rangers. Jon Pivor appeared to be cruising to an easy win at third singles. The Birdman won the first set 6-1 and lead 5-3 in the second before Michael Schinella rallied to force a tie-breaker. Pivor came through in the breaker to win 7-6 (4) for the 6-0 lead.

With the win clinched, the two other matches in the second set went to super breakers after they were both split. Jason Woods finished up first. Last season’s conference tournament served as the jumping board for Teddy’s big senior year as he was named the MVP of the playoffs. Determined to finish his career on a high note, Woods bounced back from a first set loss to power to a 6-1 victory in the second set. In the breaker, Woods won a tense 10-8 set for the 7-0 lead.

Rao, now a four-time All-Conference honoree, proved his selection to the first team by winning a great match with Catholic’s Andrew Kracht. Hollywood took the first 7-6 (5) before dropping the second 1-6. Rao finished his Drew career with a 10-6 win in the breaker that featured some great passing shots, eliciting huge ovations from the Ranger faithful.

A slightly disappointing end awaited the thrilling fifth singles match between Jon “McLovin” Pransky and Connor Donnelly. Pransky dropped the first set and was in the second set tie breaker at 6-6, 9-9 when Donnelly, unfortunately, had to retire due to injury.

This Rangers team may not be the best from this amazing run of titles (former Rangers head coach Ira Miller was in attendance and tabbed the 2001-02 team as the top team), but current Ranger head coach and two-time reigning Coach of the Year Jeff Brandes thinks that this team has a specific place in Drew’s history.

“This team’s dedication and work ethic was amazing right from the end of the fall,” said Brandes. “And it will be the benchmark that all future Drew tennis teams will be measured against; none of the other seven championship teams worked harder.”

Rao, Pivor and Woods can now claim a record that can’t be broken as the three (or at least two of the three) finish their careers as four-time conference champs.