The Phillipian

With a solid win against Exeter, Andover Boys Tennis finished off its season with an impressive record of 10-4.

Hunter Schlacks ’11 was the first to finish his match against Exeter with a 6-2, 6-2 win at the number three spot.

Captain Trey Meyer ’09 played first singles and took control from the start with a dominating win of 6-1, 6-1. Mark Adamsson ’11 followed at second on the ladder, defeating his Exeter opponent 6-2, 6-0.

Myles O’Neil ’12 played fifth singles and won his match 6-3, 6-4. At sixth singles, Max Png ’10 won 6-2 after his opponent retired in the second set.

Meyer and Adamsson claimed an 8-1 victory at number one doubles, and Schlacks and O’Neil beat their Exeter opponents 8-3.

With these victories Andover defeated Exeter for the second time with a final score of 6-1.

Last Saturday, Meyer traveled to Choate to play in the New England Prep School Invitational Tennis Tournament. He won the tournament two years ago as a Lower and hoped to take the title again this year.

He said, “The atmosphere was very different this year for me than the last time I played the tournament. This year seemed to be more difficult because I was entering the tournament as the number one seed and I felt like I had a target on my back. It is always much easier to be the underdog.”

Meyer first defeated a player from the Williams School, 8-0. He then dominated a Brunswick player, pulling away with a 10-2 victory.

Robert Lightbourn of Hotchkiss also fell to Meyer 6-2, 6-4. Lightbourn was a hard-hitting player with a good serve, yet Meyer played some of his most brilliant tennis in this match. His skilled shots, especially his topspin lobs, drew gasps and applause from the crowd.

In the next round, Meyer faced a Tabor player, who was also a Junior Davis Cup player, and easily won 6-0, 6-3.

Despite his blistered hands, “Meyer mixed assertive topspin ground shots with driving backhand slices, always choosing the best shots for the situation,” said Coach Wilkin.

Meyer took first place in the tournament, earning himself a place in Andover’s history. Before last Saturday, only one player, Tom Reifenheiser ‘90, had won the NEPSITT tournament twice.

Meyer had a four-year varsity career record of 48-8, and a perfect record this season.

Another standout player this season was newcomer O’Neil. The Junior left a lasting impression on his coaches and teammates for his sportsmanship, especially in the game against Loomis.

Though Andover did not finish off this season with a championship win, they played well and avenged all of their previous losses.

Meyer said, “I am proud of all the guys and hopefully I will be able to return to Andover next year and see my teammates win a championship.”