Tennis competes at MIAA
Joe Bell
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: Sports
The men won two of three doubles matches, but the doubles loss was one of the deciding factors in their 5-4 loss to Emporia State University, a team which they had beaten 6-3 earlier in the season when they won all three doubles matches.
"For the men, it was obviously a disappointing loss because we had beaten [Emporia] before," head coach Pete Kendall said. "However, we were obviously affected by a couple of injury situations. Rothfusz only played doubles, and Cody [Pusateri] got hurt during his singles match and had to retire. John [Rothfusz] hadn't played for a period of time, too. ... He'd had very little practice. So those things obviously affected the outcome of the match."
After the matches this weekend, the women have a 21-5 season record, and the men stand at 13-7.
Kendall remained confident his teams would get selected for the NCAA regional tournament.
"[The losses this weekend] probably won't affect us much," he said. "I expect it to only affect [the men] by Emporia changing places in the ranking. That will change, but it won't affect the final outcome of the rankings. ... The women, nothing changed. As far as I can tell, nothing really changed for us. ...The people that were below us are still below us. ... I wouldn't anticipate a change in the women's situation."
Kendall was proved correct Wednesday when his teams were selected for regionals. On May 9, the Bulldogs will play the first round of regionals in Boliver, Mo. The women will be playing the University of North Dakota and the men will be facing Southwest Baptist University.
The men hope to rehabilitate a few of their injured players as they continue a run of three years of tournament participation. The women will return to the tournament after being absent since the 2005-06 season, when they had a record of 14-8.
"For the men, it was obviously a disappointing loss because we had beaten [Emporia] before," head coach Pete Kendall said. "However, we were obviously affected by a couple of injury situations. Rothfusz only played doubles, and Cody [Pusateri] got hurt during his singles match and had to retire. John [Rothfusz] hadn't played for a period of time, too. ... He'd had very little practice. So those things obviously affected the outcome of the match."
After the matches this weekend, the women have a 21-5 season record, and the men stand at 13-7.
Kendall remained confident his teams would get selected for the NCAA regional tournament.
"[The losses this weekend] probably won't affect us much," he said. "I expect it to only affect [the men] by Emporia changing places in the ranking. That will change, but it won't affect the final outcome of the rankings. ... The women, nothing changed. As far as I can tell, nothing really changed for us. ...The people that were below us are still below us. ... I wouldn't anticipate a change in the women's situation."
Kendall was proved correct Wednesday when his teams were selected for regionals. On May 9, the Bulldogs will play the first round of regionals in Boliver, Mo. The women will be playing the University of North Dakota and the men will be facing Southwest Baptist University.
The men hope to rehabilitate a few of their injured players as they continue a run of three years of tournament participation. The women will return to the tournament after being absent since the 2005-06 season, when they had a record of 14-8.
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