Riding that championship high, the Amherst men’s tennis team is ready to begin its quest to defend the Jeffs’ second ever NCAA Div. III title. After a nearly spotless spring season that featured 26 wins, the Jeffs had a perfect postseason, going 7-0 and capturing both the NESCAC and national championships.
The Amherst men’s tennis team will be welcoming a new head coach this year, Todd Doebler. A die-hard Philadelphia sports fan who still has been known to call into Philly sports talk radio, Doebler brings with him a love for the game as well as wide variety of coaching experiences, both at the Div. I and III level. He is excited to join the Amherst community, and the team is equally as excited to have him.
Q: Where are you from?
A: I am originally from Hatfield, Pa. Not too far from Philadelphia.
Women
After three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, head coach Jen Hughes and the Lady Jeffs set out to continue their impressive form in 2014. Finishing the 2013 season with a 10-4-3 record, the Jeffs found their way to the NCAA tournament through an at-large bid after falling to Trinity in the quarterfinals of NESCACs. In a back-and-forth battle against Messiah in the second round, Amherst saw its season come to a close, as the team failed to convert on several scoring opportunities, losing 2-0.
Riding high on a 22-win season, women’s tennis is more prepared than ever entering their 2014 fall campaign. Last season, the Jeffs won their eighth NESCAC Championship in the last 10 years. Earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, the Jeffs went on to defeat Endicott, MIT, Carnegie Mellon and Williams, before falling to Emory in the National Championship match.
After dropping their first two matches of 2013 in overtime the Amherst field hockey team rattled off 13 consecutive victories, en route to the program’s first-ever number-one seed in the NESCAC tournament. Their impressive run was cut short by just one goal, falling to Middlebury 1-0 in last year’s semifinal. After being snubbed by the NCAA tournament selection committee, this year’s goal is obvious.
Men
The Amherst men’s golf team is looking to follow up its spring campaign with a strong showing this fall. The Jeffs graduated two seniors, but they are returning a solid core and will look to add to that group with three incoming first-years. Jack Arena ’83, Coach of the Year in 2010, will be returning for his 21st season as the Jeffs’ head coach.
