M. Tennis picks up first Ivy League win

After a weekend of mixed results, the Penn men's tennis team can rest assured about one thing -- they won't end their spring campaign without a win in the Ivy League. The Quakers suffered a tough, 5-2 loss at the hands of perennial Ivy power Harvard on Friday but came back Saturday to sweep Dartmouth, 7-0, at home. While the Red and Blue had their share of opportunities against the Crimson, Harvard was clearly in control of the match. The Crimson dominated in all three doubles matches, earning an early lead and taking some of the pressure off their singles players. Harvard then built on that lead by winning in straight sets at No. 4 and No. 5 singles. But the Quakers weren't out of the match just yet. Penn junior Fanda Stejskal finished off an easy victory of his own at No. 1 singles, winning 6-3, 6-2 over Harvard's Cliff Nguyen. And while Penn sophomores Ryan Harwood and Andy Kolker, playing at the No. 2 and No. 6 positions respectively, each lost the first set, both found themselves locked in tight second-set battles. Meanwhile, Penn No. 3 Brian Barki was up a set in his match. While Barki would go on to win his match, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, Harwood and Kolker both lost in second-set tie-breakers, giving the Crimson their third consecutive win and the Quakers their third loss in Ivy League matches this season. "We were an inch away from them, which means we're an inch away from everyone else in the Ivy League, because Harvard is definitely one of the best teams in the Ivy League," Harwood said. Against Dartmouth, however, it was a completely different story. "We directed our emotion [from the Harvard loss] in the right way and pulled together as a team," Harwood said. The Quakers defeated the Big Green in a match during which Penn was hardly tested. The Red and Blue swept all three doubles matches. Singles fed off that momentum to win all six matches, with Stejskal, Barki, Harwood and Kolker all dispatching their opponents in straight sets. Penn co-captain seniors Eric Sobotka and Rob Pringle had slight lapses in the middle of their matches but came back strong to win, 6-0, 6-7, 6-1, and 7-6, 3-6, 6-1, respectively. While the Quakers were happy with their win over Dartmouth, the overall sentiment was one of relief rather than jubilation. Although Dartmouth was clearly the weaker of Penn's two opponents this weekend, the Quakers' victory was hardly predetermined. Earlier this season the Big Green lost by only one match to last year's Ivy League champion, Columbia. Having secured their first win in the Ancient Eight this Spring, the Quakers are hopeful that this is a harbinger of more good things. With three more Ivy League matches left, Penn still has a chance to salvage some of its pride. "We're not ready to throw in the towel on the season just yet," Sobotka said. "I'm going to remember these last matches for a long time, and I want to leave with a good taste in my mouth."

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