Entering the men’s tennis season, Head Coach Ed Paige and his players’ main goal was to break the single season record for wins, which currently sits at 12.
With four games remaining in the season the Stags have 10 wins, needing to win three of their final four to break the record.
“The record is definitely on the minds of the players,” said senior Zach Morrison. “The last three years we have tied the record and this year it is definitely in our sights, with at least three matches we should win.”
The Stags have struggled to find consistency throughout the season, especially against MAAC opponents. After a 3-1 start, the Stags split four games in Florida on their spring break trip.
Fairfield then dropped its next two games to Boston University and Hofstra on March 22 and 24, before going on a threegame winning streak against St. Peter’s, Fordham and Rhode Island.
The Stags’ inconsistent play began once again as they split four games in a week-long span from March 31 to April 5.
The Stags played the top two teams in the conference, Niagara and Marist, but dropped both decisions.
On March 31 the Stags fell 6-1 to Niagara to end their winning streak, with only senior Morrison, picking up a victory.
Fairfield bounced back on the next day as the team defeated Siena 6-1 to earn its second MAAC win of the year and improve to 2-1 in the conference.
But the Stags could not keep up their success, dropping their next match to Marist, 6-1, on April 5.
The Stags took a break from MAAC play on April 6 and earned their 10th win of the year with a 4-3 victory over UConn. Morrison picked up the decisive victory to seal the Stags’ win.
Morrison has been the team’s leader on the courts all season long. He has an overall record of 16-9, the most wins on the team. He and freshman doubles partner Ryan Berthod are 5-2 on the year.
Junior Balasz Szilka is second on the team in victories, with a 14-8 record. Morrison’s senior co-captain Jonathan Fernando has been successful in the difficult No. 1 singles spot with an 11-14 overall record.
“The team has been playing great; everyone in the MAAC is better and the team has stepped up to the high level of play,” said Morrison.
They play three of the games against MAAC opponents, Manhattan, Rider and Loyola Maryland, before closing out the regular season against non-conference opponent Villanova.
The Stags then head into the MAAC tournament, looking to advance to the semifinals for the fifth straight season.
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