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Men’s tennis starts spring season with win over UPG

By Chelsey Withers for The Yellow Jacket 3 min read

The Waynesburg University men’s tennis team kicked off its 2015 season with a win after it traveled to the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg on Saturday. Waynesburg won decisively against the Bobcats, 6-3.

The Yellow Jackets were able to pull out the win without their number-one player, senior Isaiah Cochran.

“We planned for it,” said head coach Ron Christman. “Our guys are just extremely focused. We made the decision to keep our second doubles team together, and move around our first and third team, with Cochran missing.”

This switch worked out for the team as they opened the day winning two of its three doubles matches.

The first team was comprised of sophomore Timothy Harris and freshman Andrew Brunette, who picked up a win by a score of 8-3.

At the number-two spot, senior Phillip Littlejohn and freshman Adam McKnight played in their first match ever as a duo. The pair was able to snatch away a win, 8-5.

“I was impressed by Andy Brunette,” said Littlejohn. “He would have usually been playing third doubles, but was able to help Tim Harris win at first doubles. I was also impressed with the new players this year in general. They all didn’t win, but they played well and will put us in a good spot this year.”

The Orange and Black kept things rolling into singles play as Harris, Littlejohn and Brunette completed an undefeated day on the courts. Harris wasn’t able to get a single point in during his first match, but then was able to regroup and defeat the UPG number one seed, Jeremy Niemiec in the next two matches, giving him the win. This effort garnered Harris PAC Player of the Week.

Like Harris, Littlejohn had to overcome a loss in his first single set, in which he did, and won the next two sets to win at the number-two spot.

However, teammates Colin Phillips and Brunette easily won both of their matches.

The team looks to improve in different areas as they go to break.

“We all need to work on our footwork so we can be more efficient moving around the court,” said Littlejohn. “I need to work on improving my approach shot to make it more difficult for my opponent to pass me when I am at the net.”

Waynesburg will look to improve its early, unblemished record as it returns to action on March 17 against Penn State Altoona on the road in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

The following match for the Yellow Jackets will see the men’s tennis team host Bethany College for its first Presidents’ Athletic Conference action of the season the following day, March 18.

Both of those matches are scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.

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