The men's tennis team emerged from Spring Break with a 4-2 record, scoring confident wins against Skidmore (5-4) and California Lutheran (6-3), but the preseason trip got off to a slow start, with losses against Trinity (Texas) and Pomona-Pitzer.
According to Sam King '14, the spring season trip tested the intensity of the men's team and proved to be a good foundation for the upcoming season.
"Our perseverance through long days of long matches is a testament to our fitness level, which has been the culmination of...a rigorous offseason training," said King. "The team had some key wins that give us confidence that we can compete with anyone."
Fellow team member Nicholas Fenichell '12 also noted the confidence of the team, stating, "In regards to what the team took away from the trip, I would say that we realized that we have a very strong group of players that can compete with the top teams."
When it came to the singles lineup, the team had a strong showing, but it faltered in doubles, losing all three doubles points in both of the losses.
Despite the loss, the team proved to take greater insight into its doubles combination.
Although the team got off to a slow start, losing the first two games, by the end of the trip the Polar Bears reigned victorious with an impressive 9-0 win against Willamette University.
In the match against Willamette, Casey Grindon '13 had an exciting match, coming back in the second set, and securing a victory in a tie breaker.
King mentioned that the men's team had a clutch victory but warned against conceding to complacency as the team faces tougher opponents ahead.
"I thought everyone on the team gave a consistent, solid effort to defeat Willamette," said King. "That being said, we need to play more aggressive, bigger tennis across all spots in our lineup if we want to contend against stronger opponents moving forward."
"We should fare pretty well against the teams [Tufts and Wesleyan] which we are playing this weekend—we have a strong team," added Fenichell. "I'm looking forward to seeing our freshmen, especially Sam King and Chris Lord, compete this weekend, as they have had some really good wins and have added great to the dynamic of the team."