SAN DIEGO, CA – This past week for spring break, the Principia Men's Tennis team traveled to southern California to compete in two dual matches, visit with our beloved alumni, and to experience one of the ATP/WTA tour's premier tournaments, the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells. The California sun was hidden for much of the trip with a lot of rain and cooler weather attempting to squash the Panthers' itinerary, but to no avail. The team successfully completed every scheduled event, despite the weather, and competitively had a good showing in both matches.
With Rhodes College (from Memphis, TN) also on their spring break, the Panthers linked up with the Lynx for a dual match in Cosa Mesa on Monday morning. Principia battled well despite a 8-1 loss, with
Ernesto Botero taking the Panthers' only match team point at #6 singles. Although it was a challenging match, the men took to their lessons and geared up to compete their second match against Wheaton College (from Norton, MA).
Due to the rain, the Wheaton match was moved from Newport Beach on Tuesday to San Diego on Friday. The Lyons from Wheaton pressed the Panthers to dig deep and find ways to tactically overcome their consistent opponents. In the end, after some hard-fought matches in both singles and doubles, the Panthers prevailed 7-2, with wins at all spots except #1 doubles and #2 singles. Every Principia player in the lineup came away at least one win on the day. The Panthers left California refreshed and encouraged to keep growing as they prepare for the tough upcoming spring outdoor and UMAC conference season.
Up Next: The Panthers travel to Chicago next weekend to duel another challenging team in Lake Forest College. If you're in the Chicago area, please come out and support the Panther men at the Racquet Club of Lake Bluff on Saturday, March 25 at 4 pm.
