ELSAH, IL – The Principia men's tennis team returned home from their spring break trip to Los Angeles, California last week ready to host their final tri-match of the season on Saturday vs Monmouth College and Illinois Wesleyan University. The Panthers lost both of their matches in LA against tough competition and were eager to get back to their winning ways at home.
An injury to
Ernesto Botero in California left Principia down a man on Saturday. With only five players able to play, the Panthers had to forfeit #3 doubles and #6 singles in both matches. This meant that Principia needed to win both of their #1 and #2 doubles matches to earn the first point, and the Panthers did just that in both matches. The most exciting match of day came at #1 singles vs Illinois Wesleyan as
Jesús Soto Bossa and Nacho Zamora (playing as the #1 pair due to the Botero injury) saved three match points and went on to win 7-5 to take a critical 1-0 lead.
In the first match of the day, the Panthers won all five singles matches to cruise to a 6-1 victory over Monmouth.
Christian Tresoldi and
Alfredo Boly each got their first wins in the #4 and #5 singles position, including a third set tiebreaker victory for Boly. Principia had less margin for error in their second match vs Illinois Wesleyan as the Panthers needed all three of their top players to come through in order to win the match. Soto Bossa, Zamora, and
Nacho Cachaza each played well and took care of business in straight sets to give Principia a 4-3 win.
Jesús Soto Bossa was named UMAC South Men's Tennis Player of the Week thanks to his heroics in the #1 slot and a 4-0 doubles record with Zamora, including two tough wins in California. The Panthers will travel to Chicago next Saturday to face Lake Forest College at 10:30 am.
