Josie Emanuelli
Drew tennis enjoyed a very successful week, sweeping the Athlete of the Week awards for the third week in a row and the fourth time this season. Ty Ty Witten (‘19) and Vineet Vemulapally (‘19). This is their first athlete of the week nod, but the seventh and eighth awards for the team this season, a record for head coach Matthew Brisotti. Witten is 7-2 in singles and 9-2 in doubles this season while Vemulapally 13-2 in singles and 13-1 in doubles for the season.
The women’s team brought their winning streak to seven with victories over John Jay College and Elizabethtown. This is the best start to a season that the women have had since the 2003-2004 season. Ashley Camel (‘20) won in first singles and first doubles with Witten. The team swept doubles matches, with the number two and three spots taking victory in dominating fashion, sweeping their matches 8-0. The Rangers continued their domination against Elizabethtown, winning the match 6-3, breaking their 47-match winning streak in regular season conference dual matches. Megan Jarvis (‘17) clinched the victory for the Rangers after winning her number five singles matches 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
The men’s team enjoyed a similarly successful week with victories against The United States Merchant Marine Academy and Elizabethtown. The Rangers swept USMMA 9-0, the third time in a row they have swept their opponents 9-0. Salikh Gilmutdinov (‘18) faced one of his toughest opponents thus far at first singles, winning two close sets 7-5 and 7-6 to grab the victory. The team extended their winning streak to six matches in a row when they picked up another victory at Elizabethtown College, opening their conference play 1-0 and bringing their overall record to 11-1. Drew swept the doubles matches winning all of them 8-2. Gilmutdinov and Geoffrey Diehl (‘20) are both undefeated in dual match singles set, both of them sitting at 10-0 for the season.
Both teams will continue conference play and seek to continue their winning streaks tomorrow, April 1 at 1pm at the Drew Tennis Complex against Moravian College.
