Longwood Men’s Tennis opened their spring season with a 7-0 loss against the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC), ranked seventh in the nation, on Friday, Jan. 16.
New head coach Marty Perry expressed excitement prior to the match and considered UNC a quality team to measure against.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how our guys compete and handle the adversity of matching up against one of top teams in the ACC," said Perry.
The match was Perry’s first with the team.He was hired after coaching Division III Bridgewater College and being Director of Junior Tennis at the Atlantic Coast Athletic Club.
Most of the team faced harsh losses in their singles matches with freshman Alfonso Castellano, a fall season standout, recording the highest amount of points against his opponent, UNC freshman Jack Murray. Castellano recorded a final score of 6-3 in his second round.
The twosome of senior Daniel Elston and senior Steed Johnson led in their doubles match.Which was he only match led by Longwood that day, against UNC pair sophomore Brayden Schnur and junior Brett Clark, but the match was left unfinished at 4-2.
After receiving an early defeat in his singles match, Longwood freshman Lachlan Manser felt there were some positive aspects, and enjoyed experiencing a higher level of college tennis.
"The match showed us what the best of university tennis has to show. It was hard to face them as the first match of the season, but it was a lot of fun as well," said Manser.
Longwood is coming off a fall season including three invitational appearances in Boiling Springs, North Carolina; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Spartensburg, South Carolina. Through these invitationals, Elston, Castellano and sophomore Florian Uffer built a reputation for themselves and Longwood. With over two weeks until their next official matchup, Manser said the team continues to work on consistency, doubles and conditioning. The Lancers will face Christopher Newport University, and Mary Washington University on Feb. 7 for a double-header in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
