The third-seeded No. 38 Haverford College men’s tennis team takes on second-seeded No. 14 Johns Hopkins in a Centennial Conference semifinal on Friday afternoon (4 p.m.) in Baltimore.
On court three, the tandem of Daniel Loder and Max Beckwith got past Noah Dichter and Deniz Finkel 8-6, to extend the Fords’ lead to 2-1, with singles play looming.
Before the match, the Fords honored Adam Chow and Kirin Eicher in a Senior Day ceremony, celebrating their hard work and dedication over the past four seasons.
The contest was held at the Bettye Marshall and Norman B. Bramall Tennis Courts, before being moved inside to Alumni Field House due to rain during singles play.
In flight six, Danny Loder continued the Scarlet and Black momentum as singles began, dispelling Zayneh 6-1, 6-2, for Haverford’s fourth point of the match.
Kim and Brightman went back and forth in set three, as both men won six games a piece, forcing a crucial tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Kim won the first to seven-point race in a sprint, prevailing 7-2, as the sophomore’s 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-2 tiebreaker) victory triggered the 5-4 upset-victory for Haverford.
Arboleda captured the set and the match by winning set number three 1-0 (10-6 super tiebreaker). The monumental 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-6 super tiebreaker) win for Arboleda over 2023 ITA All-American Hoegstedt, handed the Scarlet and Black a 6-0 advantage.
A quick turnaround awaits the Fords for their next match, as Haverford returns to Bettye Marshall and Norman B. Bramall Tennis Courts to host Washington College on Tuesday, April 2.
The ITA computer rankings are determined entirely by an algorithm, which considers accumulated win points and loss points. It takes into account factors such as win-loss records, strength of schedule, and the significance of wins and losses.
Arboleda has compiled a 10-3 singles record to begin his collegiate career, including an 8-2 mark in his last 10 matches dating back to the fall tournament slate.
After being down 9-4, Arboleda was able to claw all the way back and pick up a 15-13 set three victory in dramatic fashion, to claim an amazing battle 6-1, 7-5, 1-0 (15-13).
The Fords are looking to build off a positive 2023 season, where they went 5-3 in the conference, 12-8 overall, and reached the Centennial Conference Semifinal for a remarkable 12th consecutive season.
The Fords are geared up for an exciting spring season, commencing on Saturday, February 24. They will face off against Christopher Newport at 10:30 a.m. and No. 32 Washington & Lee at 2:30 p.m. in Newport News, Virginia.
Entering year three, Head Coach Eric Spangler looks to lead the Scarlet and Black to the Centennial Conference Tournament for the third season in a row.