Men’s Featured Match: #17 Middlebury 7, #16 Franklin & Marshall

On paper, a 7-2 final score suggests a comfortable afternoon for the home team. In reality, No. 17 Middlebury and No. 16 Franklin & Marshall engaged in a razor-thin war of attrition that could have swung either way. The match was defined by grit and endurance, with four contests going the full five games and another going four. In the critical moments, the Panthers proved unbreakable, winning every single match that extended beyond three games.

The afternoon opened with a rapid fire first wave where efficiency was the theme. All three opening matches were decided in clean 3-0 sweeps, giving Middlebury a slender 2-1 advantage.

For Middlebury: Naum Lekovic (#9) and Caleb Boateng (#5) were dominant, putting the hosts on the board early.
For F&M: Kyle Broadhurst (#2) countered immediately for the Diplomats, keeping the visitors within striking distance.

Photos by George Madison

The match was ultimately decided in the second wave (Matches #1, #4, and #7), a round characterized by marathon rallies and nerve wracking finishes. With the score sitting at 2-1, this wave represented the tipping point where F&M could have seized control. Instead, Middlebury swept the board in spectacular fashion to clinch the team victory.

At the top of the ladder, Gabriel Feinstein (#1) engaged in a 50-minute thriller against Sharan Punjabi. After surrendering a 2-0 lead, Feinstein faced a decisive fifth set. He held his ground in the pressure cooker, carving out a 12-10 victory to deny the comeback (11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 12-10).
At the #4 spot, Kian Kardestuncer played the match of the day—a grueling 70-minute battle against Toby Clegg-Petri. After splitting the first four games, Kardestuncer found an extra gear, winning the fifth 11-6 to officially clinch the match for the Panthers.
Nicholas Brown (#7) added to the wave of momentum, recovering from a first game loss to grind out a pivotal 3-1 victory.

Even with the team result secured, the intensity did not drop in the final wave, which featured two more five-game classics. While F&M picked up a point at #3, Middlebury’s depth shone through in the endurance tests. Theo Kogan (#6) produced a stunning “reverse sweep,” fighting back from an 0-2 deficit to win in five, while Ronin Kaplan (#8) also secured a gritty 3-2 victory.

Middlebury Head Coach Mark Lewis credited the victory to the squad’s culture and preparation.

“This team has put in a lot of work and to see them perform well and get a win is icing on the cake,” Lewis said. “They are a great team filled with great teammates. That we get to play a game we love with people we respect and enjoy being around is an honor and a privilege.“