The Baylor men’s tennis team lost to the No. 2 UCLA Bruins Sunday, ending its eight-match win streak. The final match count was 6-1.
“They beat us up pretty good,” head coach Matt Knoll said. “We’ve got a lot to learn. There are a lot of opportunities to grow from this and that’s the key. If we take it as learners and make improvements, than it’s been a fantastic day. It’s still March, we got a long way to go and this is a great chance for us to see where we stand.”
The 26th-ranked men’s tennis team will face its toughest test of the season, taking on the No. 5 Kentucky Wildcats at 2:30 p.m. Friday at the Hurd Tennis Center.
This is the start of a three-game stretch in which the Bears (9-1) will take on three top-five teams in three days.
The men’s tennis team is coming off of a come-from-behind 4-3 win over the Florida Gators on Saturday.
“We’re pleased,” head coach Matt Knoll said. “It’s tough to play there. We’ve struggled down there for years and I thought the guys did a great job of battling from beginning to [the] end and finding a way to win.”
After clinching the doubles point, the Bears were down early with straight-set losses from sophomores Tony Lupieri and Diego Galeano.
The 20th-ranked men’s tennis team beat the North Florida Ospreys 6-1 Thursday in Jacksonville, Fla.
The win brings the Bears to 6-1 and extends the team’s winning streak to four.
Sophomore Diego Galeano has played as many matches as anyone on the 20th-ranked Baylor men’s tennis team this season.
He readily accepted his role as a utility man, playing with different doubles partners and in various singles spots when head coach Matt Knoll calls his name.
The Baylor women’s tennis team came out and battled against windy conditions to take down No. 48 Pepperdine. The win put an end to the Lady Bears’ five-game losing streak and was a much-needed boost of confidence for the team.
The 18th-ranked Baylor men’s tennis team defeated Texas-Pan American and UT Arlington 7-0 in a doubleheader Saturday.
“In terms of our energy, our focus level, our execution, I think all those things are way better than they’ve been,” said head coach Matt Knoll. “I’m really optimistic about what’s coming up next.”