The men’s tennis team ended a four-match road swing in Milwaukee before returning home for three matches last weekend.
The Braves traveled to Wisconsin to face the Phoenix of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. For the first time in coach Jesse Plote’s tenure, the team swept the doubles matches only to lose four of six singles matches losing the overall match 4-3.
Atthe No. 1 doubles position, the duo of senior Milos Romic and freshman Juan Cuadrado won 8-3.
Freshman Eric Nguyen and senior Richard Robinson at No. 2 doubles as well as the duo of senior Callen Fraychineaud and Brock Reiman at No. 3 doubles each picked up a victory for the Braves. Robinson and Nguyen won in a close match 8-7. Fraychineaud and Reiman’s victory came in a rout 8-1.
Plote said he felt the team played well in Milwaukee before coming up a little short.
“I feel like we came up short in a very close match with Wisconsin Green-Bay who is a very solid team,” Plote said. “I hope we learned a few lessons when we competed in Milwaukee and we learn and grow from those experiences.”
The Braves began their first of three home matches of the spring season with a 5-1 victory over Chicago State.
The team won four of five singles matches and two of three doubles matches.
Romic playing at No. 1 singles beat his opponent in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. The three other singles victories for the Braves came without losing a game. Nguyen, Robinson, and junior Trevor McGrath all earned 6-0, 6-0 wins.
In doubles play, Fraychineaud and McGrath teamed up at No. 2 doubles to shutout their opponent 8-0 for the win.
In the second match of the weekend, the men’s tennis team fell to Illinois-Chicago 5-2.
The team earned singles victories from Romic 6-0, 7-5 and Robinson 6-4, 6-4. In doubles play, the Braves were swept by the Flames in three matches.
The final match of the weekend came against the St. Louis University Billikens. The team came up short with a 5-2 loss.
For the second consecutive match, the Braves won two singles matches while being swept in doubles play.
Romic won his fourth straight singles match, coming from behind 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-2). Reiman earned the other victory for the team in straight sets 6-2, 6-2.
“I hope the guys on the team build from this point forward,” Plote said. “If we can do this we will have one of the most successful seasons in recent history. I will tell you that we have something special this year if we can transition our games and push each other to be the best they can be.”
