Andover: 7 – Taft: 0
On Saturday, Boys Tennis (2-0) continued its dominant start to the spring season, traveling to and defeating Taft School 7-0 in a series of singles matches. Last year, in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) Finals, both schools faced off in a match that ended in a 4-2 victory.
Building off its season-opening 7-0 win against Buckingham Browne & Nichols (BB&N), the team faced Taft knowing that victory was within reach. Few, according to Tianyi Gu ’25, expected another clean sweep.
“Taft, traditionally, is a very strong school, and their team is usually strong as well. But this year, they lost a lot of seniors… We knew that as long as we stuck to the fundamentals and played good tennis, we’d come out strong. Of course, we were pleasantly surprised with the result,” said Gu.
Beyond singles matches, Boys Tennis secured two of three doubles matches. The team’s synergy was evident in its second and third doubles pairings, which, according to Gu, delivered commanding performances despite continued experimentation in the lineup.
“Even though we swept this match and the one before, our one doubles team lost both times, it’s not a huge issue… We’re still practicing and experimenting with pairings,” said Gu.
The team’s momentum carried over into singles play, where the team’s depth and individual prowess became undeniable. Jacob Pletka ’27 emphasized the impact of Chase Burke ’25’s performance at the top spot, which set the tone early in the match.
“Chase stood out a lot, especially because he played the one position. He really took ownership… winning 6–0 and 6–1. That sort of propelled us to win, especially in singles,” said Pletka.
Due to the rain, the competition took place on Taft’s indoor courts, which added additional challenge, especially on unfamiliar turf. The team adjusted quickly, playing aggressive and efficient tennis. Additionally, Gu cited Co-Captain Kevin Niu ’25’s relentless hitting as a key highlight of the match.
Gu said, “The match was indoors because it was raining, so the courts were really fast. That took some adjustment, especially since it was away at Taft and they were already used to the courts… Kevin was absolutely a monster on the court. He was smashing balls to the other side, and his opponent had no response.”
As the team prepares for a grueling four-match week—with contests scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday—the focus in practice is on refining both doubles chemistry and match-point consistency. According to Pletka, Coaches and players are balancing recovery with strategic tuning.
Pletka said, “We’re not trying to train super hard, trying to condition ourselves, we’re just preparing by playing practice points and match-situation drills… We’re still experimenting a bit with our doubles lineup to get it set in stone.”
The team’s early dominance has only sharpened its ambitions. Winning NEPSAC remains the team’s ultimate goal, but now, it also hopes for yet another dominant season.
“Our initial goal was to win NEPSAC, and that remains the same… Other than that, maybe now we’ll try to get as many sweeps as possible,” said Pletka.
Boys Varsity Tennis looks to continue its streak this Friday in a highly anticipated match against Noble and Greenough.
Editor’s Note: Tianyi Gu ’25 was a Managing Editor for The Phillipian, vol. CXLVII.
