Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The No. 35 Ranked Whittier College Men's Tennis Team held off Occidental College Saturday 6-3 at the Richard Ettinger Tennis Courts to move to 2-1 in SCIAC play.
The Purple & Gold continue to look strong as they have now won seven of their last eight.
Director of Tennis and Head Men's Tennis Coach Quinn Caldaron made some adjustments in his lineup as he put in subs at No. 3 doubles, and No. 5 and No. 6 singles.
Elmer Van Butselaar (Veenendaal, Netherlands) and Hunter Kettering (Pleasanton, Calif.) got to work quickly at No. 2 doubles taking out Coe and Morrison 8-0. Andrew You (Arcadia, Calif.) and Thomas Koszowski (Denver, CO) picked up the second point winning 8-6 at the top spot but the Tigers managed to get on the scoreboard at No. 3. Facing set-points, Oxy was able to fight back to scrap their way to the win edging the freshman duo Zachary Ambrosio (Moreno Valley, Calif.) and Michael Kawachika (Hilo, HI) 9-7.
In singles, the Top 4 for the Poets handled their business. You took out Brown at No. 1 6-0, 6-0. Kettering faced off against Derrick at No. 4 winning 6-2, 6-0 and Butselaar despite trailing 5-2 in the first set was able to fight back to win the next 11 games in a row to dismiss Kabira 7-5, 6-0.
The battle took place at No. 2 from Koszowski who needed three sets to beat Coe. After rolling through the first set 6-1 saw his opponent return the favor winning 6-1 in the second forcing the match to a decisive third. This is where Koszowski was able to buckle down and hold on for the 6-4 win giving Whittier their 6th point on the afternoon.
The two losses came at the bottom. Jeff Lee (South Korea) moved up into the No. 5 spot and was rolled 6-1, 6-2 right in front of senior Joseph Laguna (Santa Ana, Calif.) at No. 6 who was taken out 7-5, 6-1.
Whittier travels this Friday, April 7 as they take on Chapman University beginning at 3:00pm.
