Both Georgetown men’s and women’s tennis were offered chances over the weekend to improve upon their Big East records, but neither was able to capitalize, as the men (5-10, 2-3) fell 5-2 to Big East newcomer Marquette (11-8, 1-1), while the Hoya women (3-8, 1-5) were blanked 7-0 by Rutgers (12-6, 7-3).
The men headed out to the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va., on Friday, where the Hoyas had to deal with faster courts and more talented players. In the end, they were able to win just two singles matches.
“We played on three fast courts,” Assistant Coach Brook Deming said. “That was definitely not to our advantage. We play on three slow courts at Georgetown and we just could not get used to the speed.”
“Marquette was more pumped up for the match then we were,” senior Eric Conrad said. “They came out strong winning the doubles point and going into singles they had all the momentum.”
Though Marquette’s momentum slowed Conrad down, it did not totally trip him up. In the No. 3 singles match, he dropped the first set 1-6, but recovered to take the next two by a score of 6-4 and win the match. Junior Kevin Killeavy, the No. 4 singles player, followed suit, losing the first set 2-6, but winning the next two 6-3 and 7-5. For the Hoyas, Conrad and Killeavy’s wins were the only ones to be had.
“Both [Conrad and Killeavy] struggled in their first set, then really made adjustments,” Deming said. “They needed to play a lot better and they did.”
Each player showed something unique in his comeback, Deming added.
“[Conrad] found a weakness in his opponent and he exposed it,” he said. “He played smarter tennis.”
Killeavy, on the other hand, was truly on the brink of elimination. After dropping the first set, he dropped the first three games and faced a 0-40 score in the second set.
“He really had to fight his way back into the match,” Deming said. “It was a great effort to get back into the match. He never gives up.”
No. 1 singles and doubles player Eigis Vedrickas, a senior from Lithuania, set the tone for the Golden Eagles. He downed sophomore Etienne Paris 7-5, 6-2 in singles, and along with senior Ian Kawas beat Georgetown’s No. 1 duo of Conrad and freshman Kevin Walsh in doubles, 8-5. Marquette won the other two doubles matches, 8-3 and 8-4.
Georgetown sophomore Ted Tywang won the first set of his singles match, but was unable to close out Marquette sophomore Trent Hagan. Hagan won the final two sets 6-2 and 6-4. Georgetown’s No. 5 and No. 6 singles players, junior Bert Baggio and freshman Kenneth Wong, lost in straight sets.
If the men’s match was rough, the women’s battle with Rutgers on Saturday was about as tough as they come. Rutgers won all six singles matches handily; freshman Courtney Olsen was the only Hoya to win a set all day. She lost to freshman Dana Gordon 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
“Basically, we were whooped up on,” said Deming. “We had some injuries [to No. 2 singles player Stephanie Cohen], and that didn’t help at all. Courtney [Olsen] played well. Basically everywhere else, to be honest, there was not enough talent to compete.”
In the No. 6 singles contest, Georgetown senior Charlotte Guy played two reasonably close sets, but ultimately losing to sophomore Anela Dujsic 6-4, 6-3.
Doubles was not any easier. Freshman Taylor Martin and sophomore Liz Winokur managed to win 6 games in the No. 1 match, but they still fell 8-6. Guy and Olson lost 8-3 and freshman Lauren Bakios and junior Eileen Boyle fell 8-1 to round out the doubles field.
Even with the losses, Deming, who has acted as head coach this year, said he is pleased with the way the team has grown.
“In tennis it is hard to really be a team,” he said, “but everyone has come together as much as a tennis team can and they have really supported each other.”
As difficult as the weekend’s matches were, the Hoyas barely have any time to rest. The Hoyas, both the men and the women, return to the McDonough Tennis Courts today at 2 p.m. to oppose Delaware.