By Mitch Blankespoor
ALBION, Mich. – The Kalamazoo College men's tennis team picked up its fourth straight victory with an 8-1 win at Albion in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play Saturday, April 5.
The Hornet did drop their first flight in conference play at third doubles but managed to win first and second. Senior Alan Faber and freshman Branden Metzler defeated Eric Guindi and Jonathan Gurnee 8-4 at first doubles while senior Peter Rothstein and freshman Alberto Ayala won 8-5 at second doubles.
Kalamazoo swept all six singles flights. Senior Mike Korn and freshman Spencer Navarre, Eric DeWitt, and Jacob Scott won 3-6 singles respectively. Each won their respective flight in straight sets and did not surrender more than two games in any set.
The match-clinching flight came at second singles when Rothstein beat Gurnee 6-3, 7-6(1). Metzler, who had yet to be challenged in MIAA play, had a grueling first singles match with Guindi. Metzler won the first set in a tiebreak 7-6(7) but Guindi bounced back to win set two 7-5. Because the match was already in hand, the two played a tiebreak to 10 to decide the third set. Metzler won the tiebreaker 10-2.
"We are getting everyone's best effort which helps us improve," Kalamazoo Head Coach Mark Riley said. "We got good efforts from everyone today especially our freshmen."
With the victory, Kalamazoo improves to 8-5 on the season and 4-0 in the MIAA. The Hornets will return to Kalamazoo for a 2:00 p.m. match with Chicago tomorrow (Sunday), April 6.