Rusty tennis teams drop tough matches
By: Dallas Delaney
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: Sports
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In the last week the men had two matches and the women had one. Sadly, neither team got their first win of the season, as the Lady Gorloks lost a March 20 match 9-0 to Missouri Baptist University (4-2).
The men also played Missouri Baptist (3-3), and while they had a little better outing than the women, they still fell 7-2. The men competed in another match March 22, losing 8-1 to Maryville University (1-4). The match was also the first conference match of the year for the Gorloks. Against Maryville, Head Coach Mike Siener was not looking for a slam-dunk win.
"We should compete well," Siener said before the match. "I am just looking for good solid playing."
Despite the losses, Gorlok players were happy with aspects of their game.
"We tried very hard and the matches were closer than the final score would show," Junior Jacob Gossage said about the men's Maryville match. "We are a good team and we feel that we are very close to showing that. We are right at the edge of bringing all this together."
Neither team has been getting good breaks in any of the past matches. Missouri Baptist players were hitting balls perfectly and getting their shots just in the lines. Sophomore Meghan Eakes said WU might be a little behind in terms of being competition-ready.
"It's rough but it was only the second match of the year," Eakes said. "It has been hard to practice because of the weather."
WU is a little behind the power curve when it comes to matches played. The teams WU has faced have all had more matches under their belts. Missouri Baptist had five before taking on the Lady Gorloks, while their men's team had played seven matches before playing the WU men's team.
The teams have not had a whole lot of luck with their practices, which is not helping their progress. The complex where the teams practice only has three courts for both the men and women teams.
"Practice can be a little difficult," Eakes said. "Since our practices have been inside for the majority of the season, it can get crowded. We could have six people per court and all we get is an hour to practice, and that is not a lot of time."
The men will have a match at home at 4 p.m. on March 25 against Concordia University. The women's home match against Concordia will be at noon on March 28.
Both teams will have matches against Westminster College and Eureka College March 29. The Westminster matches start at 10 a.m. and the Eureka matches start at 4 p.m. Both the men's and women's matches are at the Webster Groves Rec Plex.
The teams will be on the road at 5:30 p.m. on April 1, at Fontbonne University.
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