Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Tennis | Men’s Squad Hosts Surging Owls

Freshman Ian Whitmer defeated his No. 6 The Citadel couterpart 6-3, 6-2.  In addition, Whitmer claimed a 6-1 victory in the No. 3 doubles match on Sunday. (COURTESY GUHOYAS)
Freshman Ian Whitmer defeated his No. 6 The Citadel counterpart 6-3, 6-2. In addition, Whitmer claimed a 6-1 victory in the No. 3 doubles match on Sunday. (COURTESY GUHOYAS)

After picking up back-to-back wins in last Sunday’s double header, the Georgetown men’s tennis team looks to continue its momentum Friday against Temple.

The Hoyas (6-10, 0-2 Big East) defeated Navy (16-17, 1-1 AAC) 4-0 before claiming a 4-3 victory against The Citadel (10-27, 1-3 Southern Conference). The victory-filled Sunday marked a sharp turnaround from Georgetown’s previous seven losses in eight matches. The Blue and Gray struggled throughout March, but their recent matches could perhaps incite an inflection point for the team.

“That was one exciting day for the guys,” Head Coach Gordie Ernst said. “We came out ready to go; every single guy was ready to go. They know every year that we have a battle with Navy. They just took it to them.”

The Hoyas received strong contributions from doubles. In both matches, Georgetown swept all three doubles matches. Securing the early doubles point helped garner some momentum for the remainder of the match.

When asked about the factors behind the Hoyas’ strong doubles play, Ernst cited his team’s strong mental fortitude.

“We were mentally strong. We did the smart things like percentage tennis. We got our first serves in,” Ernst said.

With only four matches left before the Big East Championship, the Hoyas have limited time to figure out the solution to their struggles this year and claim their first conference win.

Next, Georgetown travels to Philadelphia to compete against the Temple Owls (13-8, 1-3 AAC). The Owls have been a strong team throughout the year, including a four-match winning streak earlier this year. Temple has won its last three matches, including a strong 6-0 victory Sunday against St. John’s (9-13, 1-0 Big East), a team that defeated Georgetown by a score of 4-0 on March 24.

“The next two matches [Temple and Emory] are tough,” Ernst said. “But this is what the guys need. We’ve played some tough matches and had some tough losses. If we can get these wins, we are going to be so confident going into the Big East.”

Having not competed since March 30, the Georgetown women’s tennis team (10-4, 0-1 Big East) resumes competitive play in a conference matchup against the DePaul Blue Demons (9-6, 1-1 Big East) on Saturday. DePaul experienced a slow start to the season, suffering a four-match losing streak early in the season. However, the team has since rebounded, winning five straight matches.

“Every year, DePaul is the favorite,” Ernst said. They’re always the best team in the Big East. They just beat Xavier, who won the Big East last year.”

In last year’s Big East tournament, DePaul, the No. 1 seed coming into the tournament, defeated Georgetown in the semi-finals before falling to Xavier in the finals. In the two prior years, DePaul won the Big East Championship.

While DePaul has been one of the best teams in recent years, the Georgetown women have also had a strong season and are looking forward to the challenge.

“Everyone is going to play at their utmost level,” Ernst said. “They have to keep themselves loose, so they can win big points. That is the key to the match.”

The women will host DePaul on Saturday at 12 p.m., while the Georgetown men’s team will travel to Temple on Friday for a 1 p.m. match.

 

 

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