The UR men’s tennis team played its second match of the spring season on Tuesday night, hosting local opponent Nazareth College. Though senior Michael Burger was able to come away with two wins, the team did not fare quite as well, falling to Nazareth, 3-6.
“Our goal was to do better this week, and we did. Doubles was infinitely better,” head coach Anna Khvalina said. “We’re going to keep improving with every match.”
The ‘Jackets’ wins came in the No. 2 singles match and the No. 1 and No. 3 doubles matches.
Burger played in the second singles spot and defeated Nazareth’s Jon Weaver in two dominating sets, 6-2, 6-2. He was also a member of the winning first doubles team, pairing with freshman Brian Bowman to defeat their Nazareth foes, 8-4. Bowman, however, was unable to earn two wins, as he lost in the No. 1 singles spot, 1-6, 3-6.
“For Brian to be in the No. 1 singles spot is a really great achievement,” Khvalina said. “He’s stepping up to the position, and it’s very promising.”
UR’s third win came from freshman Adam Crosby and junior Michael Kornhauser in the third doubles spot. They defeated their competitors in a well-fought match, 8-6.
The Yellowjackets dropped the remainder of their matches. Senior Jason Maher lost in two straight sets, 2-6, 1-6. Senior Michael Shepheard had a very rough match. He lost in two straight sets, as well, 3-6, 0-6.
Crosby was also unable to come away with two wins for the day. He was defeated in the fifth doubles position in two sets, 4-6, 2-6.
Sophomore Tyler Socash was beaten in the sixth singles spot. Nazareth’s Jerry Stocker barely had any trouble coming away with the win, as Socash lost in two straight sets, 0-6, 1-6.
The No. 2 doubles team also had difficulty earning a win, losing 4-8.
When asked about expectations for the remainder of the season, Khvalina said that it’s hard to have goals for statistics, as this UR team has never played against any of the opponents. However, she is optimistic for what is to come.
“I have an expectation of good effort and a positive attitude,” she said.
Although the men usually travel to Florida to play during spring break, they will not be doing so this year. Their next match is Tuesday, March 20 at home against Hobart College.
“Our schedule continues to get more difficult,” Khvalina said. “It’s a work in progress, and we’ll work on what comes up.”
Philbrick is a member of the class of 2009.
