This past weekend, both the men's and women's tennis teams traveled to Florida to face off against several teams in a University Athletic Association tournament. On Saturday, the first day, Brandeis University tennis had mixed results, as the women’s team earned an impressive 4-0 victory over New York University to advance to the fifth-place match in the UAA. In the men’s matches, the team fell to Washington University in a heartbreaking semifinal matchup.

The Brandeis Women’s Team Win Over New York University

On Saturday, for the women, the senior class’s leadership led the Judges, ranked number 33 nationally, to a dominant win over the sixth-seeded and 29th-ranked NYU at Sanlando Park in Florida. Brandeis wasted little time in setting the tone during doubles play. At the top spot, Rebecca Suarez ‘26 and Bhakti Parwani ‘25 combined for a 6-4 win, and at the number 3 doubles, Cecilia Denis ‘25 and Anastasia Sia ‘25 earned a 6-3 victory to clinch the doubles point, giving the Judges a 1-0 advantage heading into singles action. That early momentum carried over into singles, where Brandeis continued.

At number 3 singles, Chahana Budhbhatti ‘27 was up 6-2, 1-0 when her NYU opponent couldn't finish the match due to injury, which gave the Judges their second point of the day. After her doubles match, Parwani continued at number 2 singles and showcased her talent and stamina, beating her opponent 6-1, 6-3 to earn her second point of the match. Fittingly, Sia, one of the team's senior leaders, sealed the team victory with a 6-1, 6-2 win at number 5 singles. After this win, Brandeis clinched the fourth point, putting an end to the other three singles matches, which appeared to have been headed toward dramatic third sets.

The Brandeis Men’s Loss Against Washington University

While the Brandeis women’s team celebrated a strong day on the courts, the men’s team faced a tougher outcome. Also seeded seventh and ranked number 33 in Division three, the Brandeis men’s team was swept 4-0 by sixth-seeded and number 32-ranked Washington University. The Judges knew they would have a tough match on their hands, and despite several hard-fought efforts, the Washington University team showcased its strength.

In doubles play, Washington University took early control by winning at number 3, 6-3, and number 2, 6-2, to clinch the doubles point. Brandeis’s top pairing of Dylan Walters, M.A. ‘25 and first-year Daniel Shemesh ‘28 were tied 5-5 at number 1, but when the Bears clinched the doubles point, their match was halted. 

The singles competition also resulted in a WashU victory, with decisive wins at number 5 and number 6 singles, both by identical 6-1, 6-0 scores. Pierce Garbett ‘27 gave Brandeis fans some hope when he had a first-set tiebreak win, 7-6 (7-5), at number 3 singles, but his opponent responded with decisive 6-2, 6-2 wins in the following two sets to clinch the match for Washington University. While the women’s team experienced victory over NYU, the men's team showcased their resilience against a top-seeded team like Washington University.