Men’s Tennis Goes 2-1 in Eventful Week of Matches

Lauren Armstrong Staff Writer

The men’s tennis team had an action-packed week, going 2-1 in matches against Nicholas, Xavier and Loyola Maryland.

On Tuesday, March 15, Villanova took on Nicholas College in a home match, in which the Cats took the win, 7-0.

“Nichols was a pretty routine match for us,” head coach Brad Adams said. “Doubles [have] been troublesome over the season, but this past week has shown differently.”

Against Nicholas, Justin Suarez and Lukas Choi dominated in a 6-2 match. Josh Robinson and Cooper Gordon also won their match,

6-3.

Singles took a clean sweep, with Robinson, Tighe Bruntti, Eitan Khromchenko, Gordon, Ryan Nguyen and Trey Fourticq all winning their individual matches against Nichols.

On Friday, the Wildcats took on Xavier, yet were not able to play a full match after the weather prompted a move indoors.

“We should have won,” head coach Brad Adams said, “Tighe and Josh were not able to finish, but were playing very tight matches.”

Before the match was stopped, the ‘Cats were defeated, 4-0.

In doubles, Suarez and Choi lost, 6-4. Fourticq and Brunetti faced the same fate, losing 6-4 in their match, while Robinson and Gordon’s game was unfinished, with a 5-4 lead over their opponents.

In singles, Robinson, Nguyen and Brunetti had unfinished matches, yet Gordon, Khromchenko and Fourticq were all able to finish. However, those three singles all resulted in losses, leading to a 4-0 defeat for the Wildcats against Xavier.

Heading into their third match of the week, Adams was optimistic.

“In the past we have dominated Loyola,” Adams said. “Although they are a good team, many of their players tend to be overlooked during the recruitment period, and end up playing at Loyola. We have higher quality players, and if we are able to lock in, we should walk away with a win.”

Coach Adams’ predictions held true, as the Cats ended with a 6-1 victory over Loyola.

All three doubles teams won against their competition, Choi and Suarez won, 6-2, while Fourticq and Brunetti swept their competition in a 6-0 match. Robinson and Gordon also brought home a win, going 6-2 in their match.

In addition to the doubles teams, singles was also a success for ‘Cats with Brunetti, Gordon, Khromchenko, Nguyen and Fourticq all winning their matches.

With the long week behind them, the ‘Cats are now gearing up for their match this Wednesday, March 22, in Lancaster, PA against Franklin and Marshall. They head into the match with a 5-9 overall record.