Biola men’s and women’s tennis teams fall to APU
The performance of the APU men’s and women’s tennis teams could be summarized in a single word: aggressive. Despite their shutout losses on Tuesday to the Cougars, the Biola men’s and women’s tennis teams played well, showcasing persistence and aggressive net play.
Biola’s men’s tennis team was defeated by APU on Tuesday, March 10 at Biola Univeristy. Number two singles Ilja Ikonnikov (APU) defeated freshman Weston Leopold (BU); 6-0, 6-0 Photo by Bethany Cissel
March 11, 2009
The performance of the APU men’s and women’s tennis teams could be summarized in a single word: aggressive.
Despite their shutout losses on Tuesday to the Cougars, the Biola men’s and women’s tennis teams played well, showcasing persistence and aggressive net play.
The men’s face-off started with the single matches at 2 p.m. The Eagles lost to APU in straight sets, with the exception of No. 1 player, senior Colin Snow.
Snow fought hard against Azusa player Danny Colten, in a match filled with frequent volleys and well-placed winners. Although he lost in a tiebreaker, Snow’s match consisted of long rallies and split sets and drew numerous spectators
The men’s doubles matches began as soon as the singles were completed. Although both of Biola pairs lost, the unity between each doubles team – constant communication and combined efforts on defense – was apparent. However, they were still no match for APU, which came in the form of aces, overheads and down-the-line passing shots.
The women’s match kicked off with doubles at 3:30 p.m. In the first match, juniors Christine Garner and Joelle Tanaka employed a number of defensive tactics against the APU volleyers, including numerous blocks and lobs. At times, Garner and Tanaka switched things up with aggressive net play, winning multiple overheads and offensive returns.
The singles matches for the women’s team began in the late afternoon. Garner gave an impressive performance at No. 2 singles, losing the match after a close first set of 5-7.
Although the Eagles lost 0-9 to APU, the highlights of the afternoon centered on the fast-paced doubles matches, according to Garner.
“Just being able to stay in the match and having those close points was really exciting,” Garner said.
The next match for the Biola men’s tennis team will be against La Sierra University, at Biola on Friday at 2 p.m. The women’s tennis team returns to action in their next match against The Master’s College at Northridge on Saturday, also at 2 p.m.
