Men's tennis prepares for DePauw
Men defeat St. Mary's 8-1, look for SCAC victory in Arkansas
Will Hardaway
Issue date: 4/24/09 Section: Sports
The men's tennis team concluded its regular season schedule with a win against St. Mary's University last weekend. The 8-1 victory came at a crucial time; the team requires all possible momentum as it prepares for the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Tournament this weekend in Arkansas.
The Tiger's impressive defeat against their cross-town rival did indeed generate confidence as well as a resounding statement throughout the southern Division III community.
"It's definitely a positive to go into conference on a high note," said Sophomore Andrew Hoing. "We had a few distractions from the rain. There were a couple delays, and we weren't sure if the weather was going to cooperate, but, when it was time to play, we went out and did what we needed to do."
Trinity nearly pulled off the sweep, dropping its only match in No. 2 singles. As usual, the doubles column was swept in the Tiger's favor with Sophomores Bobby Cocanaugher and Cory Kowal leading the charge. The All-American duo logged an 8-1 victory in the first doubles position. They were followed by the team of First Year Max Frey and Sophomore Donnie Murray, who defeated their opponents by an 8-6 margin. Hoing and First Year John Runge rounded out doubles play with their 8-2 victory. The Tigers, ranked No. 14 in the NCAA Division III poll, won four of six singles matches in straight sets.
The team now sets its sights on this weekend's trials. DePauw University (Ind.), ranked one slot ahead of Trinity in the NCAA poll, earned the No. 1 spot in the SCAC tournament, but the Tiger's position as the No. 2 seed grants the Tigers a useful vantage point of not being the team to beat. The second seed will also assist in keeping the determined mentality the team has adopted.
"We all realize we have to approach one match at a time," Hoing said. "Obviously, our ultimate goal is to win the tournament, but we can't get ahead of ourselves. We are going to have to play some tough matches to achieve that goal."
With the conclusion of the regular season, the team has been given a brief amount of time to consider the rapid progress made over the course of the year.
"We grew a lot as a team this year," Hoing said. "It's true that we're a really young team, and because of that, we aren't gathering a lot of expectations from other programs, but we know we're a good team. We just have to keep working at the level we have been."
The win against St. Mary's capped Trinity's regular season at 11-7, yet the possibility of expansion in the win column lies not far away as the team awaits its first-round opponent: the winner of a match between Austin College and Southwestern University. Ultimately, the winner of the SCAC tournament receives an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.
The team is in Little Rock, Ark. today to play its first-round match starting at 2:30 p.m.
The Tiger's impressive defeat against their cross-town rival did indeed generate confidence as well as a resounding statement throughout the southern Division III community.
"It's definitely a positive to go into conference on a high note," said Sophomore Andrew Hoing. "We had a few distractions from the rain. There were a couple delays, and we weren't sure if the weather was going to cooperate, but, when it was time to play, we went out and did what we needed to do."
Trinity nearly pulled off the sweep, dropping its only match in No. 2 singles. As usual, the doubles column was swept in the Tiger's favor with Sophomores Bobby Cocanaugher and Cory Kowal leading the charge. The All-American duo logged an 8-1 victory in the first doubles position. They were followed by the team of First Year Max Frey and Sophomore Donnie Murray, who defeated their opponents by an 8-6 margin. Hoing and First Year John Runge rounded out doubles play with their 8-2 victory. The Tigers, ranked No. 14 in the NCAA Division III poll, won four of six singles matches in straight sets.
The team now sets its sights on this weekend's trials. DePauw University (Ind.), ranked one slot ahead of Trinity in the NCAA poll, earned the No. 1 spot in the SCAC tournament, but the Tiger's position as the No. 2 seed grants the Tigers a useful vantage point of not being the team to beat. The second seed will also assist in keeping the determined mentality the team has adopted.
"We all realize we have to approach one match at a time," Hoing said. "Obviously, our ultimate goal is to win the tournament, but we can't get ahead of ourselves. We are going to have to play some tough matches to achieve that goal."
With the conclusion of the regular season, the team has been given a brief amount of time to consider the rapid progress made over the course of the year.
"We grew a lot as a team this year," Hoing said. "It's true that we're a really young team, and because of that, we aren't gathering a lot of expectations from other programs, but we know we're a good team. We just have to keep working at the level we have been."
The win against St. Mary's capped Trinity's regular season at 11-7, yet the possibility of expansion in the win column lies not far away as the team awaits its first-round opponent: the winner of a match between Austin College and Southwestern University. Ultimately, the winner of the SCAC tournament receives an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.
The team is in Little Rock, Ark. today to play its first-round match starting at 2:30 p.m.
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