Men’s tennis remains positive despite loss in first match

The Chapman men’s tennis team opened its season with a loss to Biola University March 12, but the team remains hopeful about their chances this season. Alex Granados (left) and Harry Cohen (right) win the second doubles matchup 6-2. Photo courtesy of Larry Newman

It took 376 days. 

That’s how long it’s been since Chapman men’s tennis competitively stepped onto a court — their last match occurring March 1, 2020, against Christopher Newport University. Yet, on Friday afternoon, that stretch of idle days was finally broken.

Chapman men’s tennis lost to Biola University 5-2 in their first match of the season March 12. Despite the loss, the simple ability to set foot on the court was promising to senior business administration major Jacob Lee, a team member. 

“We weren’t 100% sure if we were going to get a season to begin with,” Lee said. “The fact that we can compete, that’s the excitement the entire team feels right now. It’s viewed as an opportunity.”

Senior Harry Cohen took the third singles match, winning 7-6 and 6-1 while Lee took the fifth singles match 6-3 and 6-4. Cohen and Alex Granados, a freshman, won the second doubles matchup 6-2, but since Chapman lost the other two out of three total, Biola took the point allotted for doubles. 

Lee expressed hope that his individual win — along with those of others — would help keep team morale high after staying closely matched against a better team. Biola is affiliated with the NCAA Division II, while Chapman is in Division III. 

“It was a good confidence booster for all of us because we all played pretty well,” Lee said. “(Biola University was) a team that we were supposed to lose to because they were in a higher position. We did pretty well and we know what to work on moving forward.”

Josh Blinder, a sophomore communication studies major, expressed confidence leading up to the match, coming off the team’s 2-1 start to the 2020 season before it was canceled by COVID-19.  Blinder hopes to use the Biola defeat and their sole 2020 loss to Christopher Newport University as fuel for the rest of the season. 

“It was intense against Christopher Newport. It left a bad taste in my mouth,” Blinder said. “It gives you something to try and avoid, to try and change and something to improve on.”

While Blinder fell in his singles match March 12, he showed improvement as play progressed. After a 6-1 loss in the first set, he bounced back to take three games in the second. 

Will Marino, head coach of the men’s and women’s tennis teams, said there was a difficulty adjusting to a higher-division team, but felt his squad stepped up to the task.

“The guys played pretty well,” Marino said. “It could have gone either way. It’s a big difference to try and get adjusted (to Division II schools), but the guys did well.”

The team will look to bounce back March 17 in a match against Azusa Pacific University — another Division II school — before beginning Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play against California Lutheran University for four consecutive matches. While Cal Lutheran suffered a worse fate than Chapman at Biola’s hands when they met Feb. 27, losing 8-0, Marino is careful to not get cocky.

“It gives us confidence, but still we can’t get overconfident,” Marino said. “It’s still a rivalry. No matter what, it’s going to be tough.”