No rust could be seen in the men’s tennis team’s performance this weekend. Despite the fact that its last intercollegiate matches were during November, it swept St. Bonaventure by a score of 7-0.
Most of the team had an easy time, dropping opponents in two sets. Among this group was senior Mike Laycob. Winning by the largest margins of the weekend, Laycob defeated the Bonnies’ Sajeel Quereshi in 6-0 and 6-1 decisions.
Freshman Brett McKeon also posted an impressive two-set win over St. Bonaventure senior and three-time Atlantic All-Conference selection Vili Nurmi.
“He beat a very good player,” said head coach Barry Schoonmaker. “For a freshman to beat someone who has a lot of experience is pretty impressive.”
Cornell also won all three doubles matches, earning the double point.
Juniors Zach Gallin and Scott Spencer teamed up to win the No. 1 doubles spot. Their victory was a 8-3 rout of the Eastern Region’s sixth place doubles tandem. Gallin would go on to a 6-2, 6-2 singles victory — but his partner Spencer would not be so lucky.
In what turned out to be one of two nail biters of the day, Spencer won his match 6-4, 6-7, and 10-3. The junior appeared to be stifled by the speed of the match and as a result his rhythm appeared off.
“He just wasn’t hitting like he should,” said Schoonmaker. “His opponent did not guarantee much of a pace.”
Fellow junior Scott Paltrowitz faced a similar challenge. Though he won the first set 6-2, Paltrowitz narrowly escaped an upset in the second, winning by 7-6.
“He just made a couple of mistakes,” said Schoonmaker. “The guy he was playing is a very dangerous player.”
Though Schoonmaker found some faults in the play of Spencer and Paltrowitz, he made it clear that he saw the larger picture.
“They still got the W, which is what mattered,” noted the coach.
The tennis team will battle Penn State this Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Reis Tennis Center.
Archived article by Matt Janiga