In their second and final league match-up this season, the Minutemen quickly dispatched the Jaguars, much like their first meeting.
Though New Roads has a full squad, they have been short-handed both times the two teams have met, missing a doubles team, and starting the match at an 0-3 deficit.
The Minutemen starters rattled off five consecutive sets in the first round, with the singles line up of Tim Huang, Nico Engling, and Laci Szabo winning their sets 6-0 or 6-1.
Doubles teams, Jordan Miao/Joshua Im, Shahe Yerevanian/Matt Yip, and Sawyer Tarampi/Jonathan Jo duplicated that.
Doubles substitutes, Eli Su and Hayden Geeting, also garnered a 6-1 win in the second round, while the other starting teams won handily as well, completing a 9-0 doubles sweep.
After sweeping the first six sets, Coach Arthur Hsieh subbed in Victor Qiao and Jeffrey Jin to get some match experience, while leaving in Szabo to play the Jaguars’ #1 player, Cy Arato-Orlovsky.
Qiao and Jin lost, 6-3 and 6-1 respectively, but gained valuable experience.
The day’s final set was the best and most competitive one of the day.
Having lost to Arato-Orlovsky, 6-3, the last time they played, Szabo fought hard to change the outcome.
It was nip and tuck the entire way, each player held serve until Szabo broke Arato-Orlovsky to take a 5-4 lead.
Both players played their best tennis at this point, pushing each other to their limits.
Arato-Orlovsky gritted out the next two games, to regain the lead at 6-5.
Szabo responded, evening the score at 6-6.
The tie-breaker was also a high quality back and forth affair, with Szabo missing an overhead to end it at 7-5.
Though it ended in a loss, it was another step in the right direction for Szabo, who continues to improve each week.
If he can continue that growth, it will be a big help to the Minutemen in the post-season.
The Minutemen are now 8-0 on the season and 4-0 in league.
Their next match is on Wednesday, March 30, against league opponent, Village Christian, which is currently tied for 2nd place in league.
A win over Maranatha would vault them into a 3-way tie for first.
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