It was the best of times...it was the worst of times, as the Webster University men's tennis team won 7-2 at Principia, and the women's team suffered its first loss of the season, 9-0, to the Panthers.  The men improved to 4-0 in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and 15-2 overall.  The matches took place on April 11 in Elsah, IL.

The matches were considered significant since both Gorlok squads had defeated rivals Westminster and Eureka Colleges already, with Principia as the lone stumbling block in their path to gain the #1 seed in the SLIAC tournament.  The men swept the doubles, winning handily at #2 and #3, 8-1, and squeezing by 9-8 at #1 as Francissco Cortez (SR, Quincy HS, IL) and Agustin Villalba (SR, American School, Ecuador) triumphed.

Cortez and Diego Alarcon (SR, American School, Ecuador) both fell at #1 and #2 singles, but Villalba, Travis Blair (FR, Jerseyville HS, IL), Ricky Eaves (SR, McCluer North HS, MO), and Josh Sellmeyer (SR, Mehlville HS, MO) all triumped at the remaining four spots to secure the win.

The 15th win set the Webster men's tennis team record for wins in a season.  With his win at #5 singles, Eaves set the Webster record for singles wins with his 15th, eclipsing a 27-year old record of 14 set by Gerard Kloosterboer in 1986.  Eaves, fresh off a SLIAC Pllayer of the Week nod, is 15-1 overall at singles on the year.

The women's team was simply overpowered by the Panthers, as Principia took command winning all three doubles, and keeping its pedal to the medal in sweeping all six singles matchups as well.  The women are 4-1in the SLIAC and 11-1 overall.

The men's team will travel to Bloomington, IL, on April 13 to face Augustana College (IL) and host Illinois Wesleyan University on April 13.  Both teams will be at the Webster Groves Tennis Center to take on Fontbonne College on April 14 in the final SLIAC regular season matches.

The results from both matches:

Webster University Men 9  Principia College 2

Doubles
Cortez Villalba win                9-8 (7-5)
Blair/Eaves win                     8-1
Alarcon/Sellmeyer win         8-1

Singles
Cortez loses                    2-6, 0-6
Alarcon loses                  1-6, 6-2, 1-6
Villalba wins                    6-3, 6-2
Blair wins                         6-2, 6-2
Eaves wins                      6-3, 6-3
Sellmeyer wins               6-1, 6-4

Webster University Women 0  Principia College 9

Doubles
Hays/Fitz lose                     3-8
Kress/Kennedy lose          1-8
Wilder/Espinoza lose        5-8

Singles
Hays loses                   1-6, 1-6
Fitz loses                       0-6, 2-6
Kress loses                  2-6, 6-3, 3-6
Kennedy loses             2-6, 3-6
Wilder loses                  0-6, 1-6
Hewuse loses              1-6, 2-6