March 29, 2005

Baltimore, Md. - Loyola's men's tennis team continued to roll this spring with a 5-2 win over Rider while the women dropped a heartbreaker to the Broncs. With a 4-3 loss on the women's side, the Greyhounds split their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opener at home.

Trevor McDonough led the men with a 6-2, 6-1 victory in No. 1 singles while John Curran (No. 5) and Ben Epstein (No. 6) won their singles matches in straight sets to put the Greyhounds in position for the victory. In No. 4 singles, Scott Gannon rebounded from a 6-1 loss in the first set and captured the next two sets by scores of 6-1, 6-2 to clinch the win.

In doubles action, McDonough and Nick Bowers teamed up for an 8-5 win at No. 1 while Greyhound tandems of Gannon and Curran (No. 2) and Dan Schiemel and Epstein (No. 3) earned 8-2 wins in their matches.

On the women's side, the Greyhounds took No. 3 doubles with Claire Najour and Stefanie Clay winning 8-5. An 8-3 loss in No. 1 doubles left the No. 2 match to decide the doubles point and Rider came away with a gut-wrenching 9-7 win.

The Greyhounds responded in with straight set victories at No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 singles action. Christi Lazar won the No. 4 match 6-3, 6-2, Najour took No. 5 6-2, 6-0 and Clay won No. 6 singles with scores of 6-2, 6-1. Rider captured the first three singles matches to come away with the 4-3 win.

The men's team improves to 6-3 overall and takes on Monmouth this Wednesday. The women play Hofstra on Thursday. Both matches are at home and begin at 3 p.m.