Men’s, women’s tennis teams ousted at early season tournament

Zachary Holden
Staff Writer

The VCU men’s tennis team lost their first match of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association season this past weekend, and with it, a chance to progress in the ITA Kickoff tournament. 

Ranked No. 32 at the time, the team lost 5-1 on Saturday to the No. 6 Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Ga. The loss ended their chances of advancing in the tournament, as the match was the regional final in the Georgia region.

VCU’s Max Wennakoksi pulled an upset by taking down the nation’s 19th-ranked singles player, Nathan Pasha. This turned out to be the lone point VCU would earn that day.

Prior to the loss, the men were a perfect 5-0 including three-straight shutout victories to start the season. The first string of victories came in the VCU 4×1 Invitational, in which the Rams swept their opposition with ease. The team dropped only one point in four matches played.

The women’s tennis team didn’t fare better than the men’s side, losing its first ITA match as well.

On Sunday, the Rams fell to No. 8 North Carolina 4-0 on the road. Each match was won handily by the Tar Heels, with four of their six players ranked in the national Top 40. It was a second round match-up of the ITA Kickoff.

UNC will advance to the ITA National Indoor Championships in February.

The loss to UNC ended VCU’s perfect 5-0 season, which included an impressive showing in the VCU 4×1 Invitational, where the Rams defeated their opponents with a combined score of 14-1. The only point dropped was in the final match against Morgan State.

The women’s tennis team will be home at the Thalhimer Tennis Center on Friday afternoon as they welcome the No. 12 Virginia Cavaliers. They will look to bounce back against a top-ranked opponent following their recent loss.

The following day, the men will be home as they host North Florida at 1 p.m.