Men's tennis puts finishing touches on season
Exceeds expectations at 26-team tournament, player says
Brian Miller
Issue date: 10/1/09 Section: Sports
Rainy weather forced the men's tennis team indoors where they continued to play hard. But, after three days of competition, they could not land a win.
"We expected to win a few matches," senior Kevin Fawcett said. "We have a really good team … we had high hopes."
Hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), the ITA Midwest Regional tournament included teams from 26 schools in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio. The event brought each school's one or two best singles or doubles players together to compete.
Senior Phil Loprinzi and sophomore Chris Kuna represented Eau Claire and took second in the ITA doubles.
"We ended up playing well together," Loprinzi said.
Coach Tom Gillman said that the final match impressed him.
"They went in as the number 9-12 seeds so I think they more than fulfilled what people expected," he said.
They lost to Kenyon College (Ohio) with scores 6-4, 6-7 (5), 10-7. Loprinzi said that he expected the duo to do pretty well. Kuna finished the year at 22-11 overall while Loprinzi ended with a 22-10 record overall.
The singles events saw three players - Fawcett, Kuna and junior Lars Olsen - compete up to the third round of play but fail to advance further.
"We did more damage in the ITA than ever," Gillman said, comparing to previous years.
The rain forced the matches to be moved indoors and spread out. As Gillman traveled between games he said he focused on managing the attitudes and thought processes of his players.
"He knows that we are a deep team and that we have experience," Fawcett said.
For Fawcett and Loprinzi this is the last time they will compete in the tournament and both went in strong. Loprinzi said he had "a little more fire, since this is my last year."
Several members of the team played in the Midwest Open event which took place simultaneously. Sophomores Matt Hambridge and Jeff Liegel competed as doubles and made it to the semifinals before losing to a team from Gustavus Adolphus. Freshman Ben Robertson and junior Eric Wollum each competed in the singles event before losing in the fourth round.
"The thing I was so proud of them about was that their attitudes were exceptional," Gillman said. "They did everything they could do… they didn't leave anything on the courts."
This weekend marks the end of the team's competitive play for the fall. Gillman said that for the next few months the players will be doing a lot of preparing individually, but often times keep it together. The man's tennis team will return to the courts in the spring.
"We expected to win a few matches," senior Kevin Fawcett said. "We have a really good team … we had high hopes."
Hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.), the ITA Midwest Regional tournament included teams from 26 schools in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio. The event brought each school's one or two best singles or doubles players together to compete.
Senior Phil Loprinzi and sophomore Chris Kuna represented Eau Claire and took second in the ITA doubles.
"We ended up playing well together," Loprinzi said.
Coach Tom Gillman said that the final match impressed him.
"They went in as the number 9-12 seeds so I think they more than fulfilled what people expected," he said.
They lost to Kenyon College (Ohio) with scores 6-4, 6-7 (5), 10-7. Loprinzi said that he expected the duo to do pretty well. Kuna finished the year at 22-11 overall while Loprinzi ended with a 22-10 record overall.
The singles events saw three players - Fawcett, Kuna and junior Lars Olsen - compete up to the third round of play but fail to advance further.
"We did more damage in the ITA than ever," Gillman said, comparing to previous years.
The rain forced the matches to be moved indoors and spread out. As Gillman traveled between games he said he focused on managing the attitudes and thought processes of his players.
"He knows that we are a deep team and that we have experience," Fawcett said.
For Fawcett and Loprinzi this is the last time they will compete in the tournament and both went in strong. Loprinzi said he had "a little more fire, since this is my last year."
Several members of the team played in the Midwest Open event which took place simultaneously. Sophomores Matt Hambridge and Jeff Liegel competed as doubles and made it to the semifinals before losing to a team from Gustavus Adolphus. Freshman Ben Robertson and junior Eric Wollum each competed in the singles event before losing in the fourth round.
"The thing I was so proud of them about was that their attitudes were exceptional," Gillman said. "They did everything they could do… they didn't leave anything on the courts."
This weekend marks the end of the team's competitive play for the fall. Gillman said that for the next few months the players will be doing a lot of preparing individually, but often times keep it together. The man's tennis team will return to the courts in the spring.
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