Elsah, IL– In a rematch of last season's SLIAC Championship, the Principia Panthers took on the Greenville Panthers in a SLIAC regular season match up that would determine the number one seed for the SLIAC Tournament. Greenville came out strong in doubles, taking a 2-1 lead heading into the singles matchups. However, from there it was all Principia, as they won five out of six of the singles matches to come away with a big 6-3 victory.
At 1
st doubles,
Greg Sovie and
Brody Swan fell behind an early break, but battled to keep the match in striking range for the next couple of games. Sovie and Swan were finally able to earn the break back and were on serve at 6-5. However, they were immediately broken back and fell 8-5. At 3
rd doubles,
Dan Wagstaff and
Peter Griswold had a very similar match to that of 1
st doubles. They also fell behind an early break, but were undeterred as they fought back and took the lead at 6-5. From there, it was all Greenville as they reeled off three straight games to take the match 8-6. The lone win for Principia in doubles came at 2
nd doubles from
Jules Kitchingman and
Nat Kenworthy. Kitchingman and Kenworthy were clinical with their serves and returns as they raced out to an early lead and never looked back. They won 8-1.
Despite the 2-1 deficit, Principia was ready for singles play and came out determined to get the necessary four points to win the match. At 4
th singles,
Brody Swan has become one of the more dependable singles players on the team. His steady groundstrokes and patient play have helped him play more consistent as the year has gone on. Swan won 6-2, 6-2. At 2
nd singles,
Greg Sovie took a little time to find his rhythm, but once he found it, he was able to win without too much trouble. Sovie gave Principia the match lead at 3-2 with his 6-4, 6-0 win. At 6
th singles,
Peter Griswold fell behind early in both sets, which led to his loss. His play improved drastically as each set went along, but it was too late as he fell 6-4, 6-4.
With the match tied 3-3,
Nat Kenworthy was finishing up his match at 3
rd singles. Kenworthy played solid attacking tennis and was able to dominate the net with some outstanding volleys. Kenworthy controlled the play throughout, as he was able to earn the 6-3, 6-4 victory. With Principia only needing one more match for the win,
Dan Wagstaff was able to come through at the 5
th singles spot. Wagstaff was steady on the ground and used his soft hands at the net to finish off points. After a long and hard fought match, Wagstaff won 6-4, 6-4.
With the match in hand, all eyes turned to the match of the day at 1
st singles.
Jules Kitchingman struggled early as he dropped the first set 6-1, but he rebounded quickly to take the second set 6-3. The match went to a third set where Kitchingman's power and speed took over. He was able to play his best when his best was asked of him as he walked away with the 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Principia finishes the SLIAC regular season with a 4-0 record, clinching the number one seed in the SLAIC Tournament. Their overall regular season record moves to 8-6. The Panthers next play on Senior Day, which is this Saturday, April 15
th at 2:00 PM on the Morey Courts. We will be honoring our lone senior in
Andrew Kratz with a ceremony before the match begins. If you are around, come out and support Andrew and the rest of the Principia Men's Tennis Team.
