The Triton tennis team took on Gustavus Adolphus University, the currently ranked No. 1 team in Division III, on Friday. Last year, the Tritons lost to Gustavus Adolphus, and head coach Eric Steidlmayer and his team sought retribution for their loss.
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The doubles teams came out strong with both the No. 2 and the No. 3 teams sealing 8-5 victories. Everett Schroeter and Jeff Wilson played tough and held their own in the No. 2 slot while Dan Albrecht and Mike Meyer also competed well in the No. 3 position. Both combinations have proved valuable for the Tritons, with Schroeter and Wilson posting an impressive 11-2 record in the No. 2 doubles spot and Albrecht and Meyer compiling a 6-1 record together at No. 3 this year.
In No. 1 doubles action, Tritons Sameer Chopra and Bryan Swatt posted an 8-4 loss against Gustavus Adolphus’ solid No. 1 team composed of Eric Butorac and Kevin Whipple.
Going into the singles matches with a 2-1 lead, the No. 1, No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6 singles positions all tacked on points for the Tritons.
Chopra was victorious at No. 1 with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 straight-set win over Butorac. Both Meyer at No. 2 and Emil Novak at No. 5 each recorded decisive 6-3, 6-3 wins against Gustavus.
Meyer, hampered recently by an ankle injury, showed no signs of its effects while playing.
Playing in his usual No. 6 spot, Schroeter sealed a narrow straight-set 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Both Wilson and Swatt suffered three-set losses. At No. 3, Swatt lost the first set 6-1, then came back to win the second set 6-1 before losing the third set in a notable tiebreaker.
At No. 4, Jeff Wilson played strong in the first set and was up 6-3, but was defeated 3-6, 3-6 in the second and third sets.
After the match, Steidlmayer acknowledged that his team played OK, but not that greatly. He said that his team concentrated well, but it was mostly an average performance. The Tritons won the overall match 6-3 but need to practice well all week in preparation for their trip north.
The Tritons face a tough series of matches next weekend against UC Santa Cruz, a top-ranked Division III school, as well as UC Davis and Sonoma State University, both strong Division II teams and CCAA foes of the Tritons.
