The Quakers are on the road again, but this time they are staying close to home — and hoping they play like it.
The men’s tennis team will take the short trip to Princeton on Saturday to take on the Tigers. Coming off its first road win of the season, the culmination of its non-conference schedule, Penn will be entering its first Ivy League match of the spring 2013 season.
The Quakers (8-5) boast a perfect 7-0 record at home on the familiar courts of Levy Pavilion. Their first loss was to Penn State, and they went 0-3 in their next set of away games during their Florida trip.
Penn is now coming off a strong 5-2 win at St. John’s last week, and the tennis team looks to maintain its form.
The key for the Quakers has been coming out strong in doubles, as the team well knows.
“We need to play better doubles on the road to get a win,” junior co-captain Zach Katz said.
Katz, once solely a doubles player, has developed his singles game with the aim of assisting his team in a different way.
“I like doubles more but my confidence is increasing in singles,” he said. “I was more of a doubles player before, but I’m getting better at singles.”
Coach David Geatz is happy about the undefeated home record but looks forward to the rest of the season, which contains only Ivy matches until the NCAA Championships, if the team is able to reach that point.
“Nothing is as important as the Ivy matches. Those are the most important,” Geatz said. “Other matches aren’t tune-ups or less important; they can help us make the tournament.
Regardless of the team’s struggles away from home, Geatz is pleased with the path that the team is on and is optimistic about the future heading into the Ivy season.
“We’re getting better,” he said. “Doubles are getting better. We compete hard. People give up on their dreams too easily. Our team hasn’t. I’m impressed with our guys.”
SEE ALSO
Penn men’s tennis tops St. John’s in final Ivy tune-up
Quakers tennis looking to solve road woes
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