Both the men and women’s Georgetown tennis teams were at play over the past week, competing against non-conference opponents Morgan State and Richmond. Both teams soundly defeated Morgan State, while the men’s team fell to Richmond in a tough 5-0 decision. Tomorrow, both teams will partake in Big East matches against Villanova.

Over the weekend the men’s squad (7-6, 0-2 Big East) routed Morgan State (3-10) in a 4-1 decision in Baltimore, Md. The Hoyas swept the Bears in doubles play, launching them to a quick 1-0 lead. Senior John Brosens and freshman Peter Beatty won in the first doubles slot 7-6 (7-5).

In the second doubles slot, graduate student Andrew Dottino and senior Shane Korber won a relatively close match as well, finishing 6-4 over the Morgan State duo of freshmen Felix Andre and Treajh Ferguson. Georgetown sophomore Jordon Portner and freshman Marco Lam won with the most ease in doubles play in a 6-0 sweep at number three doubles.

“We just kind of took care of business. They have one very good player but they’re not as deep as they have been in the previous years. It was good to get that win on both sides,” Head Coach Gordie Ernst said.

As the Hoyas quickly won the match heading into singles play, two singles matches went unfinished. At first singles, Lam fell in the first set 6-4. After being down in the second set in a score of 3-2, his match did not conclude. The same was the case for sophomore Jack Murphy, who lost his first set 6-4 but notched the second 6-2. He tied up the match 2-2 in the third set, but again that match went unfinished.

Georgetown’s success continued in singles play. Beatty won with ease in third singles, Portner beat his opponent 6-1, 6-1, and freshman Mac Rechan won 6-0, 6-0. Senior Alex Tropiano marked the only official singles loss on the day.

This past Tuesday, Georgetown was not able to maintain its momentum from the win against Morgan State. Georgetown fell to Richmond 5-0, losing the doubles point to begin and falling in four subsequent singles matches.

“The bottom line was that we were outfought, it’s very simple,” Ernst said. “They outcompeted us and played with an edge to them. It’s just very disappointing because we did not have a team effort.”

Dottino and Rechan won the only doubles match against the Spiders in the third doubles slot in a 6-3 finish. Losses at first and second doubles ultimately granted Richmond the doubles point. A duo of brothers on Richmond, redshirt senior Ethan Dunbar and sophomore Jacob Dunbar, beat Brosens and Beatty 7-6, while junior Daniel Khanin and Portner lost 6-3.

Khanin, Lam, and Tropiano all lost their singles matches in straight sets. In a three-set competition, Richmond freshman James Aronson defeated Murphy 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.

The women’s squad (9-4, Big East 1-1) beat Morgan State (5-13) in a 5-2 decision on the same day as the men’s team. The Hoyas began by winning the doubles point, courtesy of sophomore Victoire Saperstein and freshman Daphne de Chatellus. Morgan State defaulted the third doubles match to Georgetown due to an injury, helping the Blue and Gray to jump ahead to a 1-0 lead in the match.

“I definitely think that was an important win for us because Richmond was such a tough match,” freshman Casey Marx said. “Everyone did their job and the win’s probably going to help us for this weekend.”

Marx won her singles match 6-1, 6-2 in the fifth singles slot. Saperstein and junior Liselot Koenen also won their singles matches. The Bears had to default their sixth singles match.

“I stayed really focused, I didn’t let the girl hit too many winners, I went for everything. I got her out of her rhythm because I kind of have a weird game and she didn’t get used to it,” Marx said.

The women’s and men’s teams will take on Villanova tomorrow, competing in both squads’ third conference matchup of the season. The Villanova men’s team (3-14, 0-2 Big East) has lost to Georgetown in its past five contests. The Villanova women (2-12, 0-2 Big East) do not have a positive history against the Georgetown women either; in their last five meetings, the Hoyas hold a 5-0 record over the Wildcats.

As the regular season nears its conclusion, both Georgetown teams acknowledge that they need to make changes in order to succeed in the Big East tournament.

“Doubles is going to be important, especially this weekend because it seems like whenever we win the doubles point, it gives us a boost for the singles and we get more confidence and we’re a little looser,” Marx said of the women’s team.

Ernst said that the men’s team must step up in order to face a tough slate of conference rivals.

“I think right now the Big East is going to be tough,” Ernst said. “Richmond is not as good as DePaul, St. Johns or Xavier, and we just lost to them. We’re going to have to learn from these losses and bring our best stuff, or else it’s going to be tough.”

The Hoyas will travel to Philadelphia to face the Wildcats. Both teams’ matches begin at noon.