San Diego, CA – In the final match of their spring break swing through California, the Ephs squared off against a seasoned Point Loma squad on Monday afternoon. It was a roller coaster of a match filled with momentum swings, high-stakes points, and gritty individual efforts, but in the end, the Ephs came up just short, falling 4–2 to the Division II Sea Lions.
The doubles point proved pivotal early. Point Loma came out swinging, striking first with a 6–2 win on Court 3 over
Leon Liu and
Diego Marin. On Court 2,
Jack Ling and
Simon Volkema struggled to find rhythm against the Sea Lions' aggressive net play, dropping their match 6–3. That gave Point Loma the lone doubles point, but not before Williams struck back on Court 1.
Nicholas Chen and
Shawn Berdia, showing great chemistry and poise under pressure, pulled off a clutch 7–5 win against Weeks and Leischner. Their victory came just moments too late to swing the overall doubles result, but it gave the Ephs a spark heading into singles.
The Ephs wasted no time turning that momentum into points.
Jack Ling came out red-hot on Court 5, blanking his opponent 6–0 in the first set and holding firm in the third to take the match 6–0, 2–6, 6–2. That evened the team score at 1–1 and set the tone for a gritty afternoon of tennis.
On Court 4,
Leon Liu found himself in a physical battle against Kirschner, who brought relentless consistency and a grinding style that made every point a marathon. Liu matched him shot for shot in extended rallies and had chances in both sets, but a few key points didn't go his way. Despite the 6–1, 6–4 scoreline, the match was far tighter than it appeared, with Liu pushing Kirschner deep into long games throughout.
At No. 1, Chen once again showed his trademark resilience. After dropping the opening set 6–2, he regrouped with purpose, shifting the tempo and outmaneuvering Goltz to take the second set 6–1. The third set, however, belonged to the Point Loma senior, who found another gear late and sealed the win 6–2, 1–6, 6–1.
But the Ephs weren't done yet. On Court 2, Berdia put on a clinic of shot tolerance and mental toughness. He earned a steady 6–4, 6–3 win over Suver to keep Williams alive and tighten the overall match to 3–2.
That left it to
Diego Marin on Court 6, who once again found himself in the deciding match. After dropping the first set 6–1, Marin dug in and clawed his way to a second-set tiebreak win, feeding off his teammates' energy. In the third, he traded blows with Weeks in long baseline rallies, but eventually came up just short, 6–3, allowing Point Loma to clinch the match.
Volkema's match on Court 3, which he had just taken control of at 5–3 in the third, was called unfinished once the result was decided.
Despite the loss, the Ephs leave California with plenty to be proud of. Eph head coach
Dan Greenberg reflected after the match: "We still need to start better and finish a few missed opportunities, but overall I think our guys are battling better and better each match. It has been a great trip and we are looking forward to being back in the NESCAC."
The Ephs finish their spring trip with a 2–2 record and now shift their focus to NESCAC play, beginning with a road match at Colby this Saturday, April 5 at 12 PM.
Doubles:
- Chen/Berdia (WIL) def. Weeks/Leischner (PLNU) 7-5
- Suver/Fisinger (PLNU) def. Ling/Volkema (WIL) 6-3
- Khan/Goltz (PLNU) def. Liu/Marin (WIL) 6-2
Singles:
- Goltz (PLNU) def. Chen (WIL) 6-2, 1-6, 6-1
- Berdia (WIL) def. Suver (PLNU) 6-4, 6-3
- Volkema (WIL) led Fisinger (PLNU) 4-6, 6-2, 5-3
- Kirschner (PLNU) def. Liu (WIL) 6-1, 6-4
- Ling (WIL) def. Khan (PLNU) 6-0, 2-6, 6-2
- Weeks (PLNU) def. Marin (WIL) 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3
