SHERMAN, TX – The Crusaders of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor visited Sherman to play the Austin College Kangaroos Men's Tennis Team for the second time this season. While the result would be similar, the 'Roos played a much different match from the competition in March.
"We came out electric, and then got complacent," said Coach Dodd. "If we had played the way we practiced; if we had competed for more balls, if we had made more first serves and second serve returns, who knows? The fact is that we didn't, and you cannot do that against good teams like [UMHB]."
The 'Roos got out to early breaks-of-serve on Lines 1 and 2 doubles, but mysteriously lost 6 games in a row on both courts to end doubles play down 0-3. While singles has been consistently competitive, no Men's Tennis player got more than 2 games in a set in the first 5 matches. And then there was David Smith.
"[David] played the way we play," commented Coach Dodd. He may not have played his best, but he battled to get to every ball, didn't over-swing. He kept the game in front of him and played our tennis instead of playing theirs. It's exactly what you want in your senior co-Captain.
Smith would go on to win the match 6-3, 6-1 to prevent the sweep, and the 'Roos play on tonight against Dallas Baptist University at 6:00pm to right the ship.
Austin College 1, University of Mary Hardin-Baylor 8
April 10, 2015
Sherman, TX
Elizabeth Russell Tennis Complex
Singles
1. Scott Wilding (UMHB) def. Cedric Ambulo (AC) 6-1, 6-1
2. Jake Stamps (UMHB) def. Erik Meendsen (AC) 6-0, 6-2
3. Brendan Thompson (UMHB) def. Jacob Morgan (AC) 6-2, 6-2
4. Mark Johnson (UMHB) def. Daniel Oxenreiter (AC) 6-2, 6-1
5. John Martin (UMHB) def. Jeff Kubena (AC) 6-1, 6-1
6. David Smith (AC) def. Bright Ihezue (UMHB) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles
1. Wilding/Stamps (UMHB) def. Ambulo/Meendsen (AC) 8-3
2. Thompson/Johnson (UMHB) def. Kubena/Glasscock (AC) 8-4
3. Martin/Kittrell (UMHB) def. Morgan/Oxenreiter (AC) 8-3
Match Notes
Austin College: 0-8 (0-3)
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor: 8-2, Regional Ranking: #14
Order of Finish: Doubles (3, 2, 1) Singles (1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 6)