The Eastern men’s tennis team has won five of its last seven matches after starting the year 2-4.

The recent play has made freshman Felipe Gama think the Panthers (7-6, 1-1 Ohio Valley Conference) could exceed previous expectations.

The team’s initial goal was to make it the conference tournament and be successful in the postseason, Gama said.

But after seeing how well the team has been playing lately, Gama said he feels the team should be looking for more.

“I hope we can finish in the top three (in the conference) this year,” Gama said.

New Orleans trip an eye-opener

During Spring Break, the men’s team traveled to New Orleans to play Xavier, a match Eastern won 7-2.

But the focus for some players wasn’t entirely on tennis during the trip.

Junior Vuk Milicevic said he couldn’t help but notice the remaining damage to New Orleans, more than two years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast.

Milicevic had always desired to visit New Orleans, but what he saw upon his arrival surprised him, he said.

“It was definitely an eye opener,” Milicevic said. “It was very different than what I expected.”

‘8-3’ common for women’s team

The Eastern women’s team has an 8-3 record on the season.

The Panthers also have a record of 8-3 at No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 doubles.

Senior Sandra Sasidharan has a singles record of 8-3 at No. 1 singles.

Junior Natalie Martin has a singles record of 8-2 at No. 2 singles. Combine that with sophomore Hayley Homburg’s loss in her only appearance in the No. 2 spot, and the duo has a joint record of 8-3 in No. 2 singles play.

Senior Stephanie Harmazy and freshman Cara Huck both had all of their singles matches but one decided in straight sets. Both three-set matches the two have played were decided in a tiebreaker.

Harmazy’s lone three-set match came in a close contest on Friday against Tennessee Martin’s Mary Beth Gunn, which Harmazy won 7-6, 6-7, 10-8.

Huck played in her only third set of the season on March 6 when she was defeated by Bradley’s Nicole Miller, 5-7, 6-4, 8-10. Harmazy has an overall singles record of 7-3 this season.

Huck’s singles record currently stands at 4-7.

Women’s team relies on veterans

Experience has proven to be key for the women’s team this year, with nearly 60 percent of the women’s singles point of the season coming from upperclassmen.

Seniors Sasidharan and Harmazy and Martin have a combined singles record of 23-8, winning 74 percent of their matches.

The women’s team’s underclassmen have won less than half of their singles matches, with a combined record of 16-19.

JC Clark can be reached at 581-7944 or at jrclark2@eiu.edu.

Senior tennis player Sandra Sasidharan returns a forehand volley during tennis practice at Darling Courts Tuesday afternoon. Sasidharan had to take Kelly Holzhause to three set before winning 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 at Urbana last weekend. (John Bailey/The Daily Ea

(more…)