Tennis off to encouraging start

While the men’s tennis team got off to a slow start this season, losing 2-5 to Villanova, they’re now looking much stronger. The men’s team swept Saint Joseph’s University at home last week. The men are 1-1 for the season and have done fairly well in three non-scoring tournaments, picking up both titles and promising records.

At the season-opening Swarthmore tournament, Austin Longacre and Jeff Marshall both walked away singles champions of their flight. Later, in the ODU tournament, No. 4 doubles team Ryan Kent and Camilo Perez won a title. Then at Lehigh, the Hens went 10-2 in men’s doubles play at the tournament. At the Lehigh University’s Invitational, the men went 29-3 on the weekend. Longacre broke the all-time career victories record at the tournament, earning his 58th, 59th, and 60th wins.

Nine of the 10 Hens have winning singles records this season, as do six of the Delaware men’s doubles combinations. The men’s team is 25-11 overall in doubles play and 48-18 in singles matches.


Delaware’s women’s team opened play this time last year, sweeping both Villanova and St. Joseph’s, a feat they almost repeated this season. The Hens beat Villanova 7-0 then went on to defeat St. Joe’s, 6-1. Things are looking great for the Hens as far as dual play is concerned. The women are 2-0 on the season and boast a 75-24 overall singles record as well as a 37-8 doubles record on the season. Each of the seven Hens has a winning singles record, while seven doubles combinations have winning marks.

Tournaments have boded nearly as well for the women as for the men. At the ODU tournament, Ivana Petrich and Montse Ripoll earned a title in No. 1 doubles play, defeating four opponents that weekend. Then the Lehigh University’s Invitational, the women went 19-4. The No. 3 Megan Doran and Kristen Mueller doubles team won its matches both days of the Lehigh tournament. The women were 4-2 in doubles action at Lehigh and 15-2 in singles play.

This weekend, both the men’s and women’s teams will be tested again at Lehigh. They certainly seem ready.

Posted by Ellen Craven.