The men's and women's tennis teams were busy this weekend, as each hosted a pair of matches. The men's squad throttled Hofstra University and Boston College on Saturday, earning two 7-0 victories. The Lady Bears suffered a 4-3 loss to Boston College on Friday, but bounced back with a 4-3 win over Virginia Tech on Sunday. The sweep leaves the men at 11-3 on the season, while the women move to 5-3.
The women's team went ahead early against BC when captain Alex Arlak '05 and Daisy Ames '07 won 9-7 at first doubles, and Amanda Saiontz '07 and Michelle Pautler '07 clinched the point, winning 8-2 at second doubles.
BC, however, rallied in the singles competition and managed four wins, enough to take the match. Anita Ivancevic '08 won her match at third singles 7-5, 6-2 and Ames thrived at the fourth spot, winning 6-2, 6-0, but BC won hard-fought matches at first, second, fifth and sixth singles.
The loss to BC marks the first time this season that Brown lost a match in which it won the doubles point. "We let BC stay in the (singles) matches and they took advantage of it," Arlak said.
Brown's victory over Virginia Tech indicated a similar change in trend, as the Bears managed to pull out their first victory in a match in which they lost the doubles point. Arlak and Ames fell in first doubles 8-6, then Saiontz and Pautler lost an 8-2 match at second doubles, giving Virginia Tech the point.
Arlak's and Saiontz's doubles opponents gave them difficulties in the singles competition as well. Saiontz fell 6-0, 6-1 in first singles, while Arlak lost 7-5, 6-2 in the second spot.
Brown managed to recover, as the team garnered victories in the third through sixth spots. Ivancevic, Ames, Pautler and Kelley Kirkpatrick '08 clinched the match with their four wins in straight sets. "(Kirkpatrick) really has improved a lot, and you can see that all of her hard work has paid off," Ivancevic said.
Ivancevic had the added pressure of playing in the tie-breaker, a responsibility which, despite her youth, she handled with determination. "She was the deciding match and she handled the pressure well," Arlak said.
Brown will look to build on the impressive win over Virginia Tech over spring break, with five matches between March 27 and April 1. "Five matches in six days and dealing with the transition of going from indoors to outdoors aren't going to be easy," Arlak said.
The men's squad had a less thrilling but equally important weekend as it rolled over Hofstra and BC in Saturday's doubleheader.
Bruno manhandled Hofstra, forfeiting neither a point nor even a single set in the 7-0 win. Michael Scherer '08 and Scott Blumenkranz '08 turned in the most notable performances, playing like seasoned vets, despite limited playing time thus far. Scherer won handily in a 6-2, 6-3 match at fourth singles and Blumenkranz won 6-2, 6-2 in the sixth spot.
The men's squad continued its dominating play against BC later that afternoon, sweeping the second match almost as easily as the first. Brown won the doubles point, though BC put up enough of a fight to prevent a clean sweep, as the Eagles edged out Blumenkranz and Luke Tedaldi '06 9-8 in third doubles.
The afternoon's singles matches were as one-sided as the morning's. Goldberg faced a tough challenge in Soma Kesthely, but was able to rally after dropping the first set and won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the first spot. Tedaldi won the only other close match 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (6) in the sixth spot,
Though the matches offered little competition, Head Coach Jay Harris said it was a good learning opportunity.
"Getting everyone involved in a doubleheader like this allows everyone to get sharp for what will be some great matches in the next week," he said.
The squad begins a spring break road trip on March 29 that takes them to No. 54 University of New Mexico, No. 13 Pepperdine University and No. 50 Fresno State University.
"These matches coming up during spring break are important matches for us as we play teams that are ranked higher than us nationally," Shamasdin said. "However (they) are very beatable if we play well at all positions, including the doubles."
