by Lacy Cascadden
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne men’s tennis team faced off against two-out-of state colleges last weekend.
Saturday’s game against Colorado College was cancelled due to rain.
Friday, the men played the University of Puget Sound, from Washington, losing 6-1 after a tough fight, and they lost another close match Thursday to Wheaton University, from Illinois, 5-2.
ULV put up a good fight in both matches, but found themselves losing to both schools.
The men’s team plays to seven points. To get the first point, two out of three games must be won in doubles. The singles matches count as one point each.
ULV was only able to win one of three doubles matches Friday, and thus lost the point.
Chad Rodriguez and Jason Cortez took UPS into a tiebreaker, winning 7-5. But their efforts did not go unnoticed.
“We stressed a little in doubles, but were able to pull it together,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez went on to become the only singles win for ULV, taking UPS’s No. 1 player in two sets, 6-2, 6-1.
“I felt really confident in singles,” Rodriguez said.
“Chad had a great match,” said head coach Steve Bergovoy.
Although ULV had strong games, UPS had played a more solid game with powerful serves.
ULV lost 6-1, but was not shaken by the loss.
“I played really well, but he kept getting everything back. He just got to everything,” said Josh Horwitz, who played No. 2 for ULV. He lost 4-6, 2-6.
“It is a real nail bitter,” Bergovoy said.
ULV started the weekend’s games Thursday against Wheaton.
“They were sixth in the Midwest last year. Their top three players were offered scholarships to Division I schools,” Bergovoy said.
The only win in the doubles was Rodriguez and Cortez as they took Wheaton, 8-2.
Rodriguez and Cortez both won their singles matches.
ULV battled hard in the end, but it was not enough, and they lost 5-2.
This was an important game because it was ULV’s first match with their No. 1 player, Horowitz, back in the line up.
Horwitz played two doubles and three singles.
“I played fine. They are very, very, very good,” Horwitz said.
ULV played well, but was not able to take Wheaton, who had solid serves.
ULV will face the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags for the first time this season at 2:00 p.m., today. This will be the team’s first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match in three weeks.
