The 11th-ranked UCSD men’s tennis team traveled north and pocketed a pair of victories over UC Davis and Sonoma State on April 16 and April 17. The Division II Tritons extended their winning streak to four consecutive matches and improved their record to 16-9 overall.
Before heading north, UCSD played a nonconference match across town against Point Loma Nazarene on April 14. The Tritons cruised past the Sea Lions with a 7-2 victory.
“We are beginning to understand that mentally, we have to be there every time,” Tritons head coach Eric Steidlmayer said. “I was happy with the level of play we brought against Point Loma and think that we will improve it. We will continue to practice serve and return as the season winds down.”
The Tritons took two of three doubles matches to gain an early 2-1 edge over Point Loma Nazarene. Senior Amir Nejad and junior Bryan Swatt paired up to defeat Johanees Vance and Sean Sand, 8-4, while sophomore Brent Molden and senior Nick Morton won against Matt Copland and Josh Cowan, 8-3. Seniors Sameer Chopra and Jeff Wilson were defeated, 8-4, by Zack Markham and Christan Gerloff. Chopra returned to action in this match after being sidelined from an injury.
“Sameer [Chopra] is an integral part of the squad,” Steidlmayer said. “He brings a lot from a talent perspective, the guys have confidence in his ability, and it also allows each player to play down a spot in the lineup, which provides confidence in our squad.”
UCSD continued its solid play in singles by taking five of six matches. Wilson, Swatt, sophomore Emil Novak, Molden and freshman Seth Spector defeated their Point Loma opponents to secure the dual match victory for the Tritons. After their win, UCSD had a few days off to prepare for their road trip up north.
“It is really important for us to go north and compete really well,” Steidlmayer said. “We need to have a great mental performance in every match we play from here on out. Nothing else will be tolerated for this squad. The key to victory is staying aggressive with our play and always looking for the opportunity to finish and win points with our strengths.”
On April 16, UCSD maintained their competitive play by blanking Sonoma State, 9-0, in a California Collegiate Athletic Association matchup in Rohnert Park, Calif.
In doubles, Chopra and Wilson defeated Patrick Nagle and Thomas Morten, 8-5, at No. 1 doubles. At No. 2, Nejad and Swatt defeated Matt Parker and Phil Taylor, 8-4. Rounding out the doubles sweep were Morton and Molden with their 8-5 win over Andrew Laing and Ronnie Tuttle.
In singles, the Tritons continued their solid play, winning all six matches in straight sets. Chopra, Swatt, Wilson, Novak, Molden and Nejad each recorded a singles victory for the day.
On April 17, UCSD finished off their road trip with a 5-0 victory against UC Davis. Due to rain, the match against UC Davis was shortened after the Tritons clinched the fifth point of the dual match.
The Tritons easily took doubles to put the Aggies at an early 3-0 deficit. At No. 1 singles, Swatt beat Jayce Fitch in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, and Molden cruised past Ross Barasch, 6-0, 6-4, before the rain suspended the other matches. With UCSD already securing the victory at 5-0, Wilson, Novak, Nejad and Spector did not finish their singles matches.
The Tritons play their final match of the season on the road against UC Riverside on April 19 in Riverside, Calif., at 2 p.m.
