After a disappointing loss to Central Florida to finish the Penn men's tennis team's spring break trip, Penn coach Mark Riley was curious to see how his team would respond.
The Quakers were certainly up to the challenge, defeating Saint Bonaventure in fine fashion, 6-1, to improve their record to 7-3.
Before the match, Riley addressed the team, citing what he believed would be the keys to a victory.
"I talked about working on doubles," Riley said. "And responding well after a disappointing match at Central Florida."
From the outset, the Red and Blue captured the momentum, as juniors Justin Lavner and Todd Lecher won a tough match at No. 1 doubles, 9-7, to clinch the opening point for Penn.
Riley cited Lavner and Lecher for their effort, saying, "I thought they responded well."
In singles action with the Bonnies (8-7), Riley called the play of Penn junior co-captain Craig Rubin "outstanding," as he triumphed over Alyandro Nery, 6-0, 6-1.
Rubin was not the only Quaker to dominate, however, as he, Lavner, Lecher and sophomore Jimmy Fairbanks combined to lose only seven games in the Nos. 3-6 singles matches.
With his win at No. 6, Fairbanks ran his season record to an impressive 14-1.
The lone Quakers loss of the match came at No. 1 singles, where Mario Arce, the 2003 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, defeated Penn junior co-captain David Lynn, 6-3, 6-1.
Riley was pleased with the victory, but believes there is always room for improvement.
"We need to keep playing hard and being aggressive," he said.
Even though the Ivy League schedule looms, Riley says his team is not overlooking Navy (9-7) and Saint Joseph's(4-6) -- Penn's next two opponents.
"We're not looking ahead yet," Riley said. "We still have two more [nonconference] matches to play."
The attitude of the team is different this year, Riley believes, as the Quakers have worked harder in practice and, as the clich‚ goes, have taken each match one at a time.
"In the past we waited around for the Ivy League schedule," Riley said. "This year, we've worked hard in practice to prepare for every match."
The team's improved commitment has sparked good results so far, but tough challenges still remain for the Quakers.
The Red and Blue passed their first test this weekend. If the team keeps working as Riley implores them to, it may be able to overcome future challenges in the Ancient Eight.
PENN 6, St. Bonaventure 1 Singles
1 -- Mario Arce def. David Lynn (P), 6-3, 6-1
2 -- Mikhail Bekker (P) def. Nikhil Murali, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3
3 -- Craig Rubin (P) def. Alyandro Nery, 6-0, 6-1
4 -- Justin Lavner (P) def. Dejon Stankovic, 6-2, 6-1
5 -- Todd Lecher (P) def. Andrew Hart, 6-1, 6-0
6 -- Jimmy Fairbanks (P) def. Sajeel Qureshi, 6-2, 6-0
Doubles winners
1 -- Laverner/Lecher (P)
2 -- Arce/Stankovic
3 -- Pu/Fairbanks
