One and done

Despite not winning a playoff match, BU had one of its best seasons in years. Lauren Herberg

After a successful regular season, the Boston University men’s tennis team was not able to capitalize on its No. 2 seed in the America East Championships, getting bounced in the first round and failing to end BU’s streak of conference-title futility since 1996.

BU had the hot hand entering the tournament, winning six of its last seven matches, but the team fell 4-0 in its first-round match against Stony Brook University.

Stony Brook was the only conference team BU had not seen in the regular season, and the Terriers had trouble with the Seawolves from the start.

The teams split the first two doubles matches, with senior Barrett Wolf and junior Giulio Gallarotti winning in a 10-8 tiebreaker at first doubles and junior Phil DeMeo and freshman Jeff Chudacoff dropping second doubles, 8-4. In third doubles, senior Ross Lohr and sophomore Charles Weinstein were locked in one of the matchup’s tightest contests, eventually losing 8-6 in the tiebreaker.

“The doubles competition was just the most insane, intense, back-and-forth doubles competition I’ve ever been a part of,” said BU coach Rocky Jarvis. “It was remarkable. There were awful mistakes and great plays on both teams’ parts. It was definitely the best doubles [Wolf and Gallarotti] have played.”

But the Terriers’ downfall came in singles play, which has not been nearly as good as their doubles play all season. Stony Brook claimed the first three matches, locking up the Seawolves’ victory and ending Chudacoff’s, Lohr’s and Wolf’s matches early. Weinstein lost 6-2, 6-2, at second singles, Gallarotti lost 6-3, 6-1 at third, and junior Jared Kobren lost 6-2, 6-1 in the fourth spot.

“We just never could get it back,” Jarvis said of the momentum the Terriers lost after doubles. “Barrett and Ross were playing in the last meaningful matches of their careers, and I think both of them over tried. [Barrett] ran out of juice, he just couldn’t keep it up. The combination of the doubles and the two senior captains losing their first sets made it really hard for the other guys to win and stay up.”

After the loss to third-ranked Seawolves, the Terriers — resting many of their starters who exhausted themselves against Stony Brook — lost to No. 4 Binghamton University in the third-place consolation match. The Terriers’ bench could not channel the same energy BU had in its 4-3 upset victory over the Bearcats earlier this month, which was easily the highlight of BU’s season.

The doubles point went to BU, as they came away victories in two of three matches. Wolf and Gallarotti won, 8-4, at first doubles, and DeMeo and Chudacoff also won, 8-5.

In third doubles, Lohr and sophomore Mirron Nissim lost in a tiebreaker, 9-8.

The Terriers struggled again in singles play, losing four of their matchups, with two getting suspended because the Bearcats had already wrapped up the victory.

Although BU failed to earn a bid in the NCAA Tournament, Jarvis said the disappointing finale did not spoil the Terriers’ season.

“Looking on the balance of the year, I’m really proud of what the guys accomplished,” Jarvis said. “It’s really been my favorite team that I’ve ever coached. They’re really a great group of guys, and they’ve come a tremendously long way.”

Considering the team is just a few years removed from consistently poor finishes in America East, Jarvis said BU has made remarkable changes for the better.

“All the other players and coaches respect them,” Jarvis said of his squad. “I’m trying to take them from where they were in August and put them in a different place by the end of the year. This is one of the biggest changes I’ve ever seen. If they improve as players and people over the course of their careers, you couldn’t ask for anything more.”