ST. LOUIS, MO – The Principia Men's Tennis team traveled down to St. Louis on a sweltering Tuesday afternoon to face the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park. This was the Panthers' first and only team match of the fall and featured the collegiate debuts of Principia's three freshmen:
Ernesto Botero,
Álvaro Martín Moliz, and
Kuda Sandi.
The Panthers began with a 2-0 lead after learning Tuesday morning that the Eutectics would be short two players and thus have to forfeit the 6th singles and 3rd doubles matches. That lead was squandered to 2-2 after Principia's #1 doubles pair of
Juan Segovia and
Ernesto Botero lost 8-4 and #2 pair of
Rafter Sprague and
William Johnson dropped a hard-fought battle 8-7 (3).
With five singles matches remaining, the Panther netters needed to win 3 to secure victory. In the end, it was
Rafter Sprague,
Álvaro Martín Moliz, and
Kuda Sandi at the #3, #4, and #5 positions who pulled out decisive wins to clinch the match 5-4. Both Segovia and Botero at the #1 and #2 singles spots met formidable opponents in their matches with the Eutectics coming out on top in tie breakers in both matches. For the Panthers' first contest with a new-look team, this was both a learning experience and taste of what is to come for them in the coming 2023 spring season.
Up Next: Three members of the team, Segovia, Diaz, and Johnson, will compete in the ITA Central Region Tournament in St. Louis at Washington University this Friday and Saturday. The team will then transition into off season training until spring season begins in late January.
