The men's and women's tennis teams hit the road over break on tours that took them through New Mexico and California, as the men picked up two victories in three matches and the women posted an impressive four wins in five contests.
After an initial disappointment at Long Beach State University, where Ashley Pariser '08 scored Brown's only point at the sixth singles spot, the women's squad rallied to earn four consecutive wins.
Impressively, Bruno managed to salvage all four wins after losing the doubles point in each match. The squad had previously lived and died by the doubles point, losing only one match in which it won the doubles point, and winning only one match in which it lost the point.
The women began their four-game streak at the University of California, Riverside. After losing the doubles competition, they posted the necessary four singles wins to take the match 4-3. Captain Alex Arlak '05 pulled out a grueling 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 win at the second spot, while Pariser earned a hard-fought 6-2, 3-6, 10-6 win at fifth. Anita Ivancevic '08 and Kelly Kirkpatrick '08 also contributed wins at fourth and sixth, respectively.
Next, the Bears came back to shock Loyola Marymount University 4-3 after dropping the doubles point. Daisy Ames '07 posted a 6-3, 6-2 win at third singles, which was followed by a 6-4, 6-1 win by Kirkpatrick at sixth and a 6-3, 6-4 victory by Amanda Saiontz '07 at the one spot. Pariser played in the deciding match and handled the pressure like a veteran, clinching the meet for Brown with her 6-2, 6-4 win.
After dropping another doubles point to California Polytechnic State University, the squad again posted a 4-3 win due to its singles play. Saiontz, Arlak and Ivancevic edged out their opponents in long three-set matches at first, second and fourth, respectively. Pariser contributed the fourth point with her dominating 6-0, 6-1 win at fourth.
The road trip wrapped up at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where Brown dropped its fifth consecutive doubles point, yet managed to cap off its streak with four more singles wins, all of which were decided in the third set. Ames earned a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win at third singles, while Ivancevic rebounded from a first set shutout to win 0-6, 6-1, 6-0 at fourth. Pariser posted a 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 win at fifth, while Kirkpatrick clinched with a 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 win at sixth.
Brown's performance in the last five games showed significant development from the beginning of the season. Each player won at least two matches, while Ivancevic, Pariser and Kirkpatrick contributed 11 singles points from the fourth, fifth and sixth spots, relieving some of the pressure that the competition puts on the first three singles players.
Pariser especially improved, earning a stellar five wins.
"Ashley is really playing well and mentally is she is in match mode," Ivancevic said.
The squad will look to solve its doubles woes and continue their singles savvy as they move into their Ivy League season, which opens at Princeton on April 8.
The men's team opened their trip with a win at the inhospitable "Bubble of Trouble," at the University of New Mexico, "arguably the toughest road venue in the nation because of the altitude," said Head Coach Jay Harris. After dropping the doubles point, the squad won the match 5-2 with strong singles play. Captain Nicholas Goldberg '05, Eric Thomas '07 and Phillip Charm '06 earned easy two-set wins at second through fourth. Richard Moss '06 won an impressive 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 match at fifth. Saurabh Kholi '08 clinched at sixth with a scrappy 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.
The squad moved on to No. 7 Pepperdine University, "probably the hottest team in the nation," Harris said. Pepperdine took the doubles point, and despite a noble Brown effort, captured all but one of the singles matches. The Waves won their first two singles points easily, but Pepperdine first-year Jonas Berg squeezed by Thomas in the clinching 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 win at third singles. Moss, playing for pride, earned a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win at fifth - Brown's only point in the match.
The team rebounded against California State University, Fresno, sweeping the doubles point and winning at all but first singles, where Captain Adil Shamasdin '05 fell 4-6, 1-6 to Fresno sophomore Jakub Cech, his third loss in as many matches.
"Adil did struggle a bit with some tough competition and his game, but (he) has played his best tennis in the Ivy matches in the past, so he will be ready," Harris said.
The Ivy League season begins on April 8 against Princeton at home.
"The title is up for grabs and we need to fight hard and want it more than other teams," Shamasdin said.
