The men’s tennis team put forth a much better effort on Saturday than they did the previous week; however, the Hornets of Alabama State had just enough to pull out the win.
Both teams were limited with only 5 players and with the Bulldogs having lost at #1 doubles, it was up to the #2 doubles team of Stevon Walker and Johnnie Singleton to come from behind to keep from losing the doubles point.
“Last year, with #1 having lost and them being behind, this would have been over,” commented Coach Thomas Colvin.
But, this is not last year and Walker and Singleton did come from behind to win 9-7 and gain a split in the doubles.
“We’ve been talking about stepping up when the team needs it and who would be willing to do that. Today, it was Johnnie and Stevon. They accepted the challenge for the team.”
This week in singles, the Bulldogs displayed the tenacity and effort that was talked about all week.
The Bulldogs got a solid effort from junior Greg Rogers. Rogers lost the first set 4-6 to ASU’s Rodderick Ivory, but battled back to take the second set 6-3 and force a third set tie-break. In the tie-break, Rogers took control early and finished 10-4 to gain the Bulldogs lone singles point of the day.
“Greg needed this win to gain some early confidence,” Colvin said. “His win and the way that Johnnie and Stevon played in doubles, and Evan’s play in singles, will give us a foundation to work from.”
Bulldog freshman Evan Brown played a much improved match at #2 singles. Having lost the first set, Brown found himself trailing 1-4 in the second before settling down and playing some very patient, very inspired tennis. An error at set and match point gave the match to ASU’s Burt, but not before Brown had made it a much more respectable ending at 4-6.
“We talked all week about things that each of them needed to work on and it was evident in Evan’s match today that it sank in. The results of play this week should make believers of them and we will have even more success.”
The Bulldogs next travel to Georgia to face Kennesaw State on February 13.
