The University of Richmond’s men’s tennis team is off to its best start in years a little after the midseason point, thanks in large part to brothers Ethan and Jacob Dunbar leading the way.
The Spiders' 9-6 record is the best 15-match start the Spiders have had in redshirt senior Ethan’s college career.
"You can’t complain too much about having a winning record,” Ethan said.
In recent years, the team has finished toward the middle of the conference standing, playing competitively but failing to stand out. But somehow, this year seems different.
Ethan, the Spiders' number one since his first active season in 2012, has brought his game to an even higher level than in years past, proving himself as a capable leader by setting a strong example for his teammates.
Sophomore Jacob Dunbar has played exceptionally as the team’s number two. Though the Dunbars are certainly the face of the team, head coach Ben Johnson is relying on his entire team to play well if Richmond is going to win the conference tournament this year.
“We’re always working on something, we’re always trying to develop, and we’re always trying to improve,” Johnson said. He addressed facets of each player’s game that he hoped to see improve with the goal of peaking right at the conference tournament.
The Spiders had a decent season last year, finishing 11-14 including 3-3 in conference play. They earned the fourth seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, where they reached the semifinals before losing to George Washington.
On the individual level, both Dunbars had outstanding seasons last year. Ethan made the A-10 All-Conference first team and became Richmond’s only nationally ranked men’s tennis player at number 125. Jacob also made the conference’s first team in addition to being named A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie and setting a Richmond record of 29 singles wins in a season.
Still, the team fell short because despite the stellar performance of the Dunbars, the supporting cast simply was not playing at the same level. This year, however, all the key players are back and another year more experienced.
Richmond’s impressive start comes despite just two home matches so far this season. The team has done a lot of traveling, but has handled it well, posting a 7-6 road record . The Spiders figure to do even better in the final stretch of the season, in which only two of their remaining regular season matches are away from home.
“Hopefully the weather will hold off and cooperate because we’d love to play these next matches on our home courts,” Johnson said. “Being here at home, not traveling is a pretty sizable advantage. It’s probably an under-spoken aspect.”
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In doubles matches this year, the Dunbars have been no less impressive. Ethan and Jacob have gone 5-2 together and have set an example for the rest of the team, playing with chemistry that transcends that of regular teammates.
Ethan said playing with his brother was awesome.
“We’ve been practicing together as long as I can remember," Ethan said. "Growing up, we always wanted to play together on a team, but we never had that opportunity in high school and the opportunity to play doubles with him, play next to him in singles and be on the same team with him is unbelievable.”
This season represents something of a closing window for both the two brothers and the Spiders, as Ethan finishes up his last year of eligibility. Though Jacob can slide into the number one spot next season, the team lacks any outstanding candidates to fill in the number two spot and play as well as Jacob.
In the meantime, this season is still going on and as it winds down, the Spiders have their sights set high.
“Ambitious,” Johnson listed as the word to describe his team. “We have some ambitious goals and we’re taking the steps to achieve those goals. Everybody has things that they’re trying to achieve and improve upon and some of them are going to be tough, but I want the guys to have high goals for themselves and for the team.”
Coming off a 7-0 dismantling of Norfolk State, Richmond faces Davidson next Saturday at home in what Johnson thinks would be a difficult test. As the season nears its end, it’ll be interesting to see just how ambitious the Spiders truly are and whether they can convert that into a conference championship.
Contact Sports Assistant Walter Abrams at walter.abrams@richmond.edu
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