Spring Break
Both tennis squads pick up huge wins
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The men's tennis team hit the courts with a fire underneath them last Sunday, perhaps responding to criticism of their recent lack of consistency. The No. 8-ranked Blue Jays traveled to Newport News, Va., where they defeated No. 11 Christopher Newport University in a dominating fashion, winning eight of nine matches to win 6-1.
The women, though, needed no prodding to continue their excellent season. They beat Gettysburg 5-4 last Wednesday and Haverford 7-2 on Tuesday for their fourth straight victory, bringing their record to 9-2, 3-2 in their conference. They are currently ranked No. 9 in the Atlantic South.
The win was important for the men's team, as it hopefully will provide some groundwork for success during the rest of the season. Sophomore Joe Vasoontara commented that the win, while sweet in the present, will be even more valuable down the road.
"This shows we are progressively improving as the season nears its end," Vasoontara said. "This is important because we have Mary Washington and Washington College coming up to end the season, and they are both highly ranked opponents."
The Blue Jays sent a message early on, winning all three doubles matches to earn the crucial doubles point. Sophomore Joe Vasoontara paired with junior Hillen Smith to win at number one 8-3. Junior Nick Kennedy and sophomore Raffi Roberti joined their teammates in the win column, earning an 8-4 win at second doubles. Sophomores Matt Naftilian and Kevin Ma continued the team's dominance with an 8-1 win at third doubles.
The Blue Jays won from the bottom up in singles, with the only loss coming at the top, where Vasoontara, who is ranked No. 19 in the region, lost to the No. 12 player, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, in first singles. Roberti and Ma won their matches easily at third and fourth singles, each defeating their opponent in two sets. Naftilian fought hard at the five spot to win his match 2-6, 7-5, 6-4. At six, freshman Lawrence Wei used three sets to win 4-6, 6-0, 6-0.
Vasoontara credited the win to a better work ethic in recent weeks.
"After we lost to The College of New Jersey, everybody kind of buckled down and started to work harder in practice," Vasoontara said. "We were more willing to endure the long days and play out every point."
The win improved the Blue Jays' record to 3-5 on the season.
The women continued their winning ways, defeating Gettysburg in a 5-4 nail biter during Wednesday's pivotal Centennial Conference match. The Blue Jays improved their record to 2-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play by winning the match, which was played on the Homewood Campus.
After the doubles matches finished, the Blue Jays led the Bullets 2-1, winning at both first and second doubles. Freshman Brittany Matava teamed with sophomore Tanya Gulnik at first doubles to win 8-5. At second doubles, freshman Debbie Blass played with sophomore Stephanie Carr. The duo won 8-6.
The Blue Jays needed important wins in the singles matches at the first, second and fourth positions to secure the match victory. The Bullets won singles at the third, fifth and sixth positions. Matava improved her overall record in singles this year to 7-1, winning 6-1, 6-2. At second singles, Gulnik stayed perfect on the season, winning her match 6-1, 6-2. At fourth singles, senior Jill Seidman won 6-2, 6-2.
The Lady Jays' nails were safe during Tuesday's match against Haverford. Hopkins cruised to a 7-2 victory, bringing their record to 9-2, 3-2 in conference. The Fords never had a chance as the Jays took first and third doubles to take a lead they would not relinquish. Hopkins won five of six singles matches, highlighted by Matava's victory in straight sets versus the Fords' Laura Chaddock at first singles, 6-3, 6-3. Matava, ranked No. 10 in the region, is now 8-1 overall.
The women play next at McDaniel on Thursday, followed by a match on Saturday at Bryn Mawr. The men next pick up their racquets at McDaniel on Thursday, followed by a trip to Pittsburgh on Sunday to play against Carnegie Mellon.