A hot day on the courts. Freshman Justin Lee and his opponent were battling for the third singles victory. Whichever player won would determine the outcome of the match, as the teams were tied, 2-2. Lee had taken the first set, 6-2, but he had fallen 7-5 in the second set. The match went into a tie-break: the game decider. Back and forth the ball went between the players. Unfortunately for Lee, he lost to his opponent 10-3, and in their last match of the season, the Blue Devils fell to Summit, 3-2.
Aside from Lee, the other two singles matches were lost by Westfield. First singles, junior Ben Duan, in his first game back from injury leave, fell to his opponent in just one match, 6-4, as he refrained from playing the second set to avoid aggravating his recovering injury. Second doubles, senior Deven Patel, had lost both of his matches, 6-1. However, these matches were not truly reflective of the Blue Devils talent and achievements this season.
Head coach Matt Varhley said, “Overall, the program had an outstanding season. The varsity battled through several injuries to finish the season with a 17-7 record.”
In the Summit match, first doubles of senior captains Cole Hornbeck and Colin Cimei defeated their opponents in two sets, 6-2 and 6-1. This remarkable duo ended the regular season undefeated with a 24-0 record.
Second doubles, consisting of senior Evan Sewald and sophomore Evan Kahn, in another exceptional performance won in two sets, 6-2 and 6-2. Collectively, the second doubles team had gone just shy of a perfect finish with a 23-1 record this regular season.
Even with the extraordinary season performances, the Blue Devils stay humble: “We battled injuries, but obviously we could want a little more out of matches,” said Sewald. “But we’re prepared to go on to sectionals and play well.”
Although this outcome was not what the team expected, “Summit played at full strength while [Westfield] had to make adjustments to the lineup to address injuries,” said Varhley.
Besides Duan, Westfield suffered ongoing injuries throughout the season from senior Jake Blaustein and junior Eshaan Khera. But now, with a healthy squad, the Blue Devils should be better than ever for the North 2, Group 4 sectional tournament.
In the first round of the tournament, Westfield had seeded themselves high enough to get a bye week. Their next match will be played on May 29 at Tamaques Park against the winner of the Elizabeth vs. Dickinson game on May 22.
Before sectionals, “we need to improve our energy and mental fortitude,” said Blaustein.
