The No. 62 seeded St. John’s men’s tennis team took on No. 32 Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa over the weekend, losing to the Bulldogs 4-2.
“Not tougher, just a game that could’ve went either way,” St. John’s head coach Eric Rebhuhn said. “It was very, very close.”
As far as improving heading into their next match against Binghamton University, Rebhuhn said, “I think we’re right on track for Binghamton next week and being one of the top seeds for the Big East tournament.”
With prolific contributions from sophomore Vaidik Munshaw and freshman Robert Livi, the Red Storm couldn’t overcome the Bulldogs.
“Another match against another great nationally ranked team,” Rebhuhn said. “Playing against a team with a great reputation in a very pressured situation yet again.” As the Red Storm move forward, coach Rebhuhn took the high-pressure situation as a valuable lesson for his team.
“I like the direction we’re heading into this season so far. I think we’re coming together to win our first Big East title,” Rebhuhn said. “We’re looking forward to winning a Big East title this year.”
The St. John’s men’s tennis team looks to bounce back against the Binghamton Bearcats on Thursday, April 10.
A scarce St. John’s women’s tennis team found themselves short on players recently, coming up short in their match against Stony Brook on Sunday as the Seawolves walked away with a 5-2 win over the Red Storm.
“It was a difficult match due to us being shorthanded, which didn’t leave a lot of room for error,” head coach Bertrand said. “It was overall a decent effort given the situation.”
Moving forward in the season, Coach Bertrand also noted that team’s chemistry must stay intact.
“The team has to stick together and keep trying to execute on the doubles stroke that we’ve been working on in match play and to stay confident throughout the duration of the match including doubles and singles,” Bertrand said. “I think when we compete, we put ourselves in the best condition to win.”
Bertrand keeps a positive outlook on the adversity the team has faced.
“This team has been through a lot but we are getting better particularly in doubles play,” Bertrand commented. “My hope is to continuously improve and stay injury free for us to peak.
“It’s really important for us to play these outdoor matches heading into the tournament we’ll be hosting, which is basically at home,” Bertrand said.
As the Red Storm returns home, they’ll be gearing up for their next match against Big East rival Seton Hall on Friday, April 11.
