By Christopher Spiker
Staff Writer
The men’s tennis team (2-3, 0-0) lost to No. 46 Virginia Tech, 7-0, Friday. The women’s team (2-7, 0-1) lost to Army, 6-1, Friday and UMass, 7-0, Saturday. Both teams lost to Bucknell, 5-2, Sunday.
The men host Duquesne today at 1 p.m. in their Atlantic 10 opener and play at Cleveland State Saturday at 7 p.m. The women host Temple Sunday at 11 a.m.
Duquesne (6-2, 0-1) travels to Olean Friday after winning five of its last six matches. Sophomore Rich Robbie leads the Dukes with a 5-3 singles record and 6-2 doubles record this spring.
Coach Michael Bates said he wants the men to replicate the same energy that helped them defeat Colgate Feb. 9.
“We were hoping that was going to be the standard, and it wasn’t last weekend,” Bates said.
Cleveland State (2-6) hosts the Bonnies Saturday, led by sophomores Ali Shabib and Niklas Johnson in doubles at 4-4. Bates said the Vikings force his men to play well in doubles. Cleveland State is a Horizon League power, winning four of the last five conference championships.
“We look forward to the challenge, but we still have to step up when we need to,” Bates said.
Temple (1-6, 0-2) battles the Bonnies Sunday after losing four straight matches. Juniors Jordan Batey and Alicia Doms are the Owls’ leading doubles pairing at 2-0. Batey leads the Owls in singles at 3-1.
Virginia Tech handed senior Luis Guevara and junior Javier Ortiz their first singles losses of the spring. Guevara lost in third singles, 6-4, 6-3 and Ortiz lost in fourth singles, 6-1, 6-3.
Senior Kathryn Kvas won the Bonnies’ only point of last weekend’s road matches. Kvas won in third singles against Army, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 10-6. Sophomore Marissa Brossard was the only other Bonnie to win a set in last weekend’s road trip, losing in second singles against Army, 2-6, 7-6 (10-8), 11-9.
Despite their losses, Bates said playing tough competition will help the Bonnies. Virginia Tech’s men and Army’s women participated in the 2012 NCAA tournament, and the UMass women finished second in that year’s A-10 tournament.
“I think we gained some experience from (the matches) and hopefully we’ll work a little harder the rest of the season,” Bates said.
Senior Oscar Yanez led the Bonnies against Bucknell with a singles and doubles victory. Yanez won in second singles, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and teamed up with Guevara in first doubles, winning, 8-5. Ortiz won in fourth singles, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6.
