Men’s tennis sets sights on postseason

The PUC men’s tennis team had a busy start to their spring season, as they have already played four matches this month.  What looked like a slow beginning for the team has been turned around, and now has the team looking at the postseason.

The first match of the spring was also the first CCAC match of the whole year, and was played against Judson University on April 7 in Elgin, Ill.  Although hopes were high for the second half of the season, the team would fall to the Eagles by a score of 9-0.

Despite the loss, there were several impressive individual performances on PUC’s side of the court.  Freshman Jeff Stooksbury won seven games at No. 2 singles, and sophomore Jaime Alvarez won five games at No. 4 singles.

“We had a very tough schedule at the beginning. We played two of the hardest teams we will all year,” sophomore Matt Radencic said.

The second of these two particularly tough matches was played against Olivet Nazarene University on April 14, which they also lost 9-0.  However, the team once again showed promise in several games.  Henry Muro won three games at No. 3 singles for PUC.

After starting the season with two losses, PUC would face crosstown rivals the Crimson Tide of Calumet College of St. Joseph.  By this time the men had enough of losing, and came out ready to win.  PUC took the Sunday match 9-0, giving them not only their first conference win, but their first win of the spring season.

“After the first two matches, I was getting anxious and frustrated,” Radencic said.  “I really wanted to show everyone what our team could do, and we definitely did that against Calumet,”

Radencic and Stooksbury each posted up impressive victories in No. 1 and No. 2 singles respectively against CCSJ.  The two also came together to win in No. 1 doubles for PUC.

“The biggest thing that changed between the second and third match was the team's attitude and will to win,” Radencic said. “The win gave us confidence, and hopefully that'll carry over to the conference tournament.”

Bad weather forced the team’s April 20 match to be rescheduled for April 21, as the first game of a doubleheader.  PUC won e first contest against Roosevelt 7-0, but lost the second to St. Francis 9-0.

The team finished their 2011-2012 campaign with an overall record of 3-8 and a CCAC record of 2-3.  The men hope to ride their recent wave of success into the postseason, which begins April 23.