The No. 23 ranked Monmouth University women’s bowling team recorded three wins out of eight matches in their first MEAC conference meet of the season. Over those eight games, the team posted an average pinfall of 183.7 per game and finished seventh out of the nine teams that competed. Despite the disappointing finish, the Hawks were still very consistent and a bit unlucky, finishing fifth overall in total pinfall.
On the weekend, the team defeated Howard 1,032-853, Norfolk State 865-821, and UAB 924-776. The Hawks’ score of 1,032 against Howard was the third highest overall score out of all the teams that competed that weekend. Four of the Hawks’ five losses came against other nationally ranked programs. The Hawks were 2-3 on Friday, and 1-2 on Saturday, and are now 3-5 overall on the year and 3-5 in Baker matches. In all Baker events, the Hawks boast a record of 6-7. The Hawks will travel back to Millsboro, Delaware for the Hawk Classic Invitational hosted by Maryland Eastern Shore. The three-day competition begins on Friday, Nov. 18, and will conclude Sunday, Nov. 20.
The Monmouth University men’s tennis team competed in the Drexel Hidden Dual tournament on Nov. 7 and 8 against St. John’s and Drexel, winning five singles matches and winning five out of seven in doubles matches. In their first matchup against St. John’s, Seniors Alexander Zuckerman, Christof Zeiler, and Gabriel Bustao each won their singles matches, joined by junior Diego Laporta. Zuckerman decisively won in two sets, while Zeiler, Busato and Laporta each needed three sets to finish off their opponents. Junior Charlie Penman was unlucky not to join his teammates in victory, losing his matchup in three sets. Victor Castro, Lucca Silva, and Arthur Dussaubat also competed in singles matchups against St. John’s but came up empty handed.
The Hawks’ matchup against Drexel found them much less fortunate this time around, as grad student Lucca Silva emrged as the Hawks’ only victor. Dussaubat, Zuckerman, Penman, and Laporta also competed against Drexel, and were joined by teammates Niels Van Noord and Dmitry Bezborodov.
After their singles matchups, the Hawks dominated their competition in the doubles matcups, winning five out of seven and sweeping St. John’s. Teams of Niels Van Noord and Victor Castro, and Gabriel Busato Dmitry Bezborodov each took 6-2 victories in their contests. Christof Zeiler and Diego Laporta, and Charlie Penman and Alexander Zuckerman each won their matchups 6-3.
In their following doubles matchups against Drexel, the Hawks were again on the losing end, with Drexel looking the better side in both singles and doubles. Niels Van Noord and Victor Castro got Monmouth started with a 6-4 win, while Busato and Bezborodov were defeated 6-4 and Zeiler and Laporta were defeated 6-2.
After the mostly successful tournament appearance, the Hawks traveled down to Annapolis, Maryland to participate in the U.S. Naval Academy’s Navy Invitational tournament, competing in both singles and doubles matches. Van Noord competed in singles flight A, winning two and losing one while Bezborodov won one and lost two. In flight B, Castro went undefeated in his three matches while Zuckerman won two out of three. Flight C saw Castro and Penman both go undefeated, while Zeiler joined them in that regard from flight D. Laporta rounded things out for singles competition with a 1-2 finish in flight C.
The Hawks did not compete in singles playoff matches because Bezborodov and Van Noord matched up with each other in the bracket.
In doubles matches, Castro and Van Noord swept flight A with a 4-0 record, and Bezborodov and Laporta went 3-1 in flight B. Zeiler and Penman also went undefeated in flight C, while Zuckerman and Silva split their four games evenly with their opponents.
The tournament did not hold playoff matches for the doubles teams.
The Navy Invitational tournament will be the last competition for the Hawks for a few months; the squad will return to action on Feb. 4 against Temple.
