Tennis is back in season for the Beacons, and UMass Boston Men’s Tennis is getting their first taste of action this academic year. A game was scheduled against Roger Williams University, Sept. 28, 2o23, but that game was canceled, which forced the Beacons to wait until March to bust out their rackets.
During that time, both men and women’s tennis underwent changes regarding their coaching personnel. According to the Little East Conference’s website, Malcolm Neville was retroactively named the head coach of both teams March 5 and officially took on the role March 11. Neville previously served as head coach for Anna Maria College, assistant coach for Curry College and assistant head coach for both tennis programs at Emerson College. [1] Neville steps into the job with big shoes to fill, taking the helm of a women’s tennis team that won two consecutive LEC championships.
It seems he’s already made great strides as head coach of men’s tennis. After four games, the Beacons amassed a 2–2 record, matching their win total from last year in less than half as many games. In a handful of their games last year, the Beacons played with a shorthanded squad of four athletes. They reached six players after men’s hockey players Karsten Bourgoine and Grady Friedman nobly hung up their skates and laced up their tennis shoes April 11 of last year, per Beacons Athletics. [2]
This season didn’t begin for men’s tennis without hiccups. Their opener against Western Connecticut State University didn’t go as planned, as they succumbed to the Wolves 6–3. Moreover, the Beacons went into this season without 2023 LEC player of the year, Patrick Ramos; their team predominantly consists of first and second year players, per Beacons Athletics’ roster. [3]
In their match against the WestConn Wolves, the Beacons went 1–2 in doubles, the lone victory being an 8–5 #1 doubles win by the duo of junior Rudraksh Trivedi and senior Kevin Kubinec. Kubinec and Trivedi also came away with both of the Beacons’ singles wins, accounting for all three of UMass Boston’s points for the day, per Beacons Athletics. [4]
Three days removed from a hard-fought loss, the Beacons stormed back, evening out their 0–1 record with a commanding 7–2 win over Curry College. Beacons Athletics’ box score showed that both teams entered their slate of sets with a 0–1 record, but it was UMass Boston who came out victorious in the April 2 affair.
Kubinec teamed up with Thomas Tran in the #1 doubles, securing an 8–4 win. Felix Nguyen and Guillerme Ozoros opened the lead to 2–0 for UMass Boston with an 8–5 win in the #2 doubles. An 8–7 #3 doubles loss from Shrenith Rakshana and David Flores cut the lead to 2–1, but the Beacons made light work out of the singles matches, winning five of six in the one-on-one’s.
Riding the hot hand after conquering the Colonels, the Beacons tried to continue their proficient play against Lesley University April 4, and the match turned out to be a spectacular showing across the board. The Beacons let it rip against the Lynx, sweeping the match with a 9–0 win. Doubles wins of 8–0, 8–2 and 8–1 were complemented by even better play in the singles matches. Kubinec, Tran and Flores were flawless in their sets; they all went 12–0 in their games to each secure a point for UMass Boston, per Beacons Athletics’ box score [5]. Overall, the Beacons went 97–14 against Lesley, an exceptional feat that showcased their ability to compete at a high level.
However, their profound success came to a halt days later. According to Beacons Athletics’ box score, men’s tennis was swept 9–0 in their following game against Wheaton College April 9. It was a quiet game for UMass Boston offensively; Trivedi and Kubinec were the only duo to win a game in doubles, though they fell 8–1 in the set. The singles matches saw no difference, as they collected only six total wins in their respective sets. Similarly to Lesley’s demise five days prior, three players were swept in singles, ending a rather-silent day for the Beacons’ offense on a low note.
A canceled game against University of Saint Joseph was a missed opportunity for the Beacons to bounce back, though they still have a handful of games remaining—all of which are in-conference. These games hold more importance, as they determine the team’s seeding for the LEC tournament at season’s end. Two monstrous wins built the momentum for them early; now, a stretch of crucial games can rebuild that momentum and get them ready for a shot at a championship.
- Malcolm Neville named Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach at UMass Boston – Little East Conference
- Bumping With Bourgoine and Friedman, Men’s Tennis Earns First Win of Season – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
- 2024 Men’s Tennis Roster – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
- Men’s Tennis vs Western Connecticut State on 3/30/2024 – Box Score – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
- Men’s Tennis vs Lesley University on 4/4/2024 – Box Score – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)
- Men’s Tennis vs Wheaton College (Mass.) on 4/9/2024 – Box Score – UMass Boston (beaconsathletics.com)