The boys tennis team lost to the Aragon Dons with a final team score of 5-2 on Tuesday afternoon.
The first match off the court was doubles two team junior Liam Baker and sophomore Thomas Greenleaf. The duo was overpowered by the Dons, and fell 6-2, 6-2.
At doubles one, seniors Calvin Linnert and Rowan Hanley finished with a win. Despite numerous unenforced errors, the Bears managed to stay in control with well-positioned and crafty shots, winning the first set 6-3. The next set ended in a similar fashion with the Bears continuing to dominate the court, winning the second set 6-4 to close out their match.
“Overall we played really well today, we lost to these guys last time. My serve in particular was really good, and Rowan was really good at the net which helped us get the win,” Linnert said.
Next off the court was singles two, where sophomore Cole Aylaian faced much difficulty against Aragon. Strong shots from the Dons’ singles two allowed him to completely dominate the net and control the game. Although Aylaian remained resilient, it wasn’t enough, and the match ended 6-3, 6-3.
“My opponent was really good, respect to him. He was just really consistent and powerful which made him difficult to play against,” Aylaian said.
The Bears continued to face challenges: singles four junior Cubby Derrough lost a tough game 6-4, 6-4.
“I think overall my game was pretty good today. I started off a little slow in the first set and my volleys could use a little work, but my groundstrokes and serve were on. In the second set, I just lost my momentum,” Derrough said.
Singles one was also an extremely tough battle, with long rallies and impressive shots. Senior Aditya Kudaravalli’s well-placed and fast serves in the first set allowed him to rack up points and keep it a tight game. However, Aragon’s singles one player’s sheer athleticism and length gave him the upper hand, wrapping up the first set with Kudaravalli falling 6-4. Determined and unwilling to back down, Kudaravalli continued to fight in the second set, but Aragon was still able to dominate, finishing the second set 6-4 and securing the win for the Dons.
Singles three-player sophomore Lawrence Chao was also outmatched against his opponent’s strength and ball control, and lost 6-3, 6-4.
Although the Bears’ spirits were low, they made sure to support their teammates in the last match to finish, which was the doubles three team consisting of freshmen Max Weiss and Yoonwon Bae. The first set was close, but the Bears managed to clinch the win with a score of 7-6. However, the second set didn’t end in their favor as they lost 6-3. Making sure to leave the day on a good note, the pair refused to let up and won the final set 10-8, giving them the victory.
This concluded the match, with Aragon overall winning 5-2.
The Bears will return to the court against the San Mateo Bearcats on Thursday away at 4 p.m.
