Biola men’s and women’s tennis teams both played matches today, but with vastly different outcomes. The men’s team, playing at home against an Occidental College Tigers squad, had the better day of the two, winning all of the matches they played in order to get the 9-0 sweep. The women’s team encountered a sweep as well, but they were on the receiving end of a 9-0 blank delivered by NCAA Division I UC Riverside team. The men move to 1-2 on the season and the women drop to 0-3.
The men’s doubles played first, with all three teams making short work of their opponents. The men’s ‘three’ team, composed of sophomores Michael Vartuli and David Garcia, finished their opponents first, beating them 8-1. Sophomores Phillip Westwood and Joe Turnquist of the Eagles’ ‘two’ team were the only Eagles doubles team to bagel their opponents, dispatching Occidental’s players 8-0. Biola’s top pair, sophomore Lucas Lee and junior Lee Mountain, had the closest match, but were still able to get the comfortable 8-5 victory.
In singles play, Garcia was the only one to not drop a game, as he defeated his opponent 6-0 both sets. Vartuli and Turnquist each had to fight the most for their respective W’s, with Vartuli needing an extra game in the first set going on to win 7-5, 6-3. Turnquist also won his first set 7-5, but dropped the second 4-6, requiring a 10 point tiebreak set, in which he came out on top by a score of 10-5. On the top court, the left-handed Westwood gave Occidental’s top player all he could handle and then some, walking away with the straightforward 6-1, 6-3 win.
“I think what we did well was our preparation,” said Brent Worthington, head coach. “We came out ready just to focus on our ability and not worry about our opponents.”
The women’s team faced a significant challenge in their matchup against the UC Riverside Highlanders, and it certainly was a learning experience for them. The doubles teams did their best, with only the ‘three’ team of sophomore Brooke Sanford and freshman Katie Boesl getting shutout 6-0. Each of the top two teams were able to take two sets off the very talented Highlander players, but ended up falling 6-2.
The singles matches were much the same story, with three of the six Eagles players taking two sets off of their opponent. Sanford was the only Eagle to do it both games, but senior Susan Carmichael and junior Kelsey Post were each able to do it in the first game.
Both the men’s and women’s team are scheduled to meet up against the Hope International University Royals on Tuesday, Feb. 16, with the women starting at 1 p.m. and the men following at 2 p.m.
