The men’s tennis team won its first meet of the season against Wofford on Saturday while the women’s team continued to struggle despite some positive individual performances.
After five straight losses to open the season, last week’s road trip ended positively as the men’s team found a way to beat the Terriers 4-3.
Fermin Calvo Barcelo and Lucas de Torres Curth gave the Owls an early lead by winning 6-2 at No. 1 doubles and were followed by Manuel Castellanos and Corey Smith in a 6-2 win. Barcelo, Smith and Curth also picked up wins in singles action with Smith’s coming in straight sets.
“This team has shown so much fight and resilience during the last few weeks,” said director of tennis Eduardo Rincon. “We have faced so much adversity but they have found a way to compete every single time. Today could have gone either way.”
The previous match on the men’s road trip resulted in a tight 4-3 loss to Presbyterian, despite Barcelo and Curth winning the doubles point and taking early control of the match for the Owls.
“Our guys competed and represented KSU really well on the road,” Rincon said. “We let some key opportunities get away, but that is tennis for you.”
The women’s team kicked off the road trip by losing a non-conference match at Jacksonville State.
Singles victories by Alexandra Mercado and Kennedy Craig, and a doubles win by Mercado and Laura Hopton, were the bright spots in a 5-2 loss to the undefeated Gamecocks.
“This was one of those matches that got away from us,” said assistant head coach Miranda Foley. “We were a point or two from putting ourselves in a position to get the team win but fell short mentally when we really needed it to count.”
The Owls followed with a 6-1 loss at Presbyterian, with Mercado winning for the second straight time at No. 1 singles for Owls’ only point.
The final match of the week resulted in a 5-2 loss to Wofford at the Reeves Tennis Center.
With each team holding one win apiece, the men’s team will continue the season on Saturday, March 3, at Alabama State University while the women will host Austin Peay on March 4.
