The men’s tennis team’s trip to Ohio was not perfect, but it was still a success.
UR defeated the College of Wooster 6-1 on Friday before falling 6-1 to Kenyon College on Saturday. The Yellowjackets then rebounded for a 6-1 victory over Denison University on Sunday.
Junior Colin Ryan won three times at first singles, although he struggled a little against Denison. He lost the first set 6-4 and trailed 4-2 in the second set before winning 10 straight games to take the match.
“I definitely felt out of it the first couple sets,” Ryan said. “I was tired from the long weekend and the two matches in the two previous days, and I was just off the first half of the match. [I] realized that I wasn’t really playing my hardest [and] I just picked up my intensity.”
Ryan has won six straight matches after losing twice at the St. Bonaventure Tournament and once against the University of Buffalo.
“My singles game has been pretty solid over the last couple weeks and my record is showing that,” Ryan said. “I just have to keep the expectations I have of myself high. I know that I can beat anyone out there right now, I just have to believe in my capabilities.”
Ryan did not fare as well in doubles, however. Ryan and junior Dan Williford lost in first doubles against Wooster and Kenyon before posting an 8-4 win at Denison. There are three doubles matches in each tennis meet and whichever team wins at least two gets a point.
“Dan and I should beat everyone we face convincingly,” Ryan said. “I guess it’s hard sometimes knowing that we are supposed to go out and beat everyone we face this season, but I think the reason we lost those matches is because we just weren’t playing that well.”
“The doubles [matches are] just as important as the singles even though the singles count for more. It’s a much more comforting feeling knowing that you are already up a point in the match total when you are starting your singles match.”
Williford also struggled at second singles over the weekend. He lost at Wooster and Kenyon and then won 6-2, 6-1 against Denison. Fortunately, the team was able to improve to 6-3 without a strong weekend from Williford.
“Individually, it was a disappointing weekend for me, but I was happy that the team did well,” Williford said. “I thought we could have done better against Kenyon, but other than that I thought it was a pretty successful weekend.”
The Yellowjackets have this weekend off before they travel to Philadelphia to face the College of New Jersey on Friday, April 13 and Swarthmore College on Saturday, April 14. Those are UR’s final regular season matches as the UAA and UCAA Championships are on the following two weekends.
“Our trip to Philadelphia is going to be important because those two teams are pretty much our main rivals,” Williford said. “I think we should be able to come out of it with two wins, but they’re going to be close matches.”
Ryan also has high expectations for that weekend, and for the rest of the season.
“[I hope we go] undefeated for the rest of our matches,” Ryan said. “Then off to nationals for a title.”
