The Holy Cross tennis teams have made a statement to the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference this week. The men played their two initial league matches of the season, and the women played only their first. However, both were dominant in their gameplay.
Earning 4-0 sweeps against both Judson and Olivet Nazarene, two programs from Illinois, the Holy Cross men moved to 5-3 on the season. Since the beginning of March, the men’s team has been on a four-game winning streak, outscoring opponents 19-2 during that stretch.
Against Judson, the Saints encountered minimal resistance, soaring past the Eagles with excellent singles and doubles play. The No. 1 doubles team of senior Laurenz Flender and junior Perry Gregg captured a 6-2 win, while the No. 2 duo of junior Ciaran McCarthy and Oscar Wai secured a 6-1 victory.
With the doubles point in hand, the Saints made quick work of singles action. While Gregg and sophomore Luca McManus each won handily (6-1, 6-1), Wai had to battle a bit more against his opponent. After taking the first set by a 6-2 score, Wai’s second set went the distance before he earned the day’s clinching point on a 7-5 defeat.
Moving forward to Tuesday, the Holy Cross men shut out another conference foe, Olivet Nazarene. Gregg and Flender again rolled in No. 1 doubles, posting a 6-0 win to set the tone early. The No. 3 doubles group of McManus and freshman Adam Singleton closed out the doubles point, taking a 6-3 victory.
The Saints then looked even sharper in singles play, with Gregg, Wai and Singleton going 6-0 in their sets to quickly wrap up three singles points and clinch the match. None of the three won a single set by less than four points on the day.
The Holy Cross women also extended their impressive start to the season, blanking Olivet Nazarene by a 4-0 count. Now 5-1 on the year, the women’s team has outpaced its six opponents by a 23-7 score.
In doubles play, each of the top two Saints teams won in full as the No. 3 team won on a walkover from Olivet Nazarene. The No. 1 team of sophomore Kia Carvalho-Landell and freshman Nicole Martinez claimed a 6-3 victory, while the No. 2 combination of senior Anna Beer and sophomore Victoria Savvidou triumphed by a 6-2 score.
With Olivet Nazarene walkovers in No. 5 and No. 6 singles, Holy Cross needed only one full win in singles play to clinch the match. Freshman Maria Sanchez delivered it in the No. 2 spot, winning her sets by scores of 6-2 and 6-3.
Between now and Tuesday, both the men’s and women’s teams will play three more matches. The Holy Cross men will host Roosevelt on Saturday and Bethel on Monday before visiting St. Francis on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Saints women will play host to Indiana Wesleyan on Friday and Roosevelt on Saturday ahead of a Tuesday trip to St. Francis.
