LOS ANGELES, CA - The Principia Men's Tennis team traveled to Southern California for spring break to train in warmer weather, attend the professional Indian Wells tournament, and take on both Pomona-Pitzer and Whittier College.
The Panthers' first road match of the season and first taste of outdoor tennis came on Monday against Pomona-Pitzer, the nation's 19th ranked team in Division III. Seniors
Daniel Gomez and
Juan Segovia teamed up for the first time this season and played great doubles together at the top spot. They got an early break and each held serve multiple times against a solid team, holding on for an 8-6 win.
Gomez had a rollercoaster day in singles, as he lost a tight first set 6-4, but then blew through the second set 6-1 to force a third set tiebreak. Unfortunately, he couldn't win the big points and took his second loss of the season.
Rafter Sprague and
Elliott Matthiesen each played well in singles despite only taking a few games on the scoreboard. Overall, the Panthers fell 8-1.
The Panthers returned to the court on Tuesday against Whittier College and made things more competitive. Gomez and Segovia went up a break in doubles but couldn't hold on down the stretch, falling 8-6. Sprague and
William Johnson played together for just the second time this spring at #2 doubles and competed well in an 8-5 loss. Matthiesen and
Everett Poznick also got a game on court three.
Gomez dominated at #1 singles this time, only dropping two games against his opponent. Segovia played the most exciting match of the day, but the difference was only a few points in a first set tiebreak loss (8-6), and a close second set that he couldn't bring over the finish line. Matthiesen was strong again at #5 and smacked some big forehands. In the end, the team took their second straight 8-1 loss at the hands of a strong Los Angeles opponent.
Up Next: The Panthers return home at the end of the week, and then a week later, they will travel to Indiana to face Rose-Hulman at 11:00 AM ET on Saturday, March 26th.
