Chris McCree
Senior Writer
The men’s tennis team continues to build on its early success by taking the Flight C singles and Flight A consolation title at the Mount St. Mary’s Invitational last weekend in Emmitsburg, Md. Colby Burke ’17 defeated teammate Irwin Reibeisen ’14 in the Flight C finals on Sept. 15 after both players cruised through their first two matches. Scott Bernstein ’14 also came away with the victory in the consolation bracket.
“I think we competed well and can definitely build off of this weekend,” Reibeisen said. “The beginning of the season is always a time to get solid match play in and continue to build team chemistry.”
Though the only two Bison in the Flight C bracket, Burke and Reibeisen dominated the first two rounds. Neither of the two allowed an opponent to take more than three games in a single set. Both players competed in their toughest match when they faced off in a back-and-forth contest that ended in a 7-5, 6-4 win for Burke.
“Playing these matches enables me to see what I am doing well and what I can improve upon,” Reibeisen said. “I am very motivated to work hard in areas that need improvement as well as continue to improve my strengths.”
Despite his loss in the first round, Bernstein battled back to take the consolation title in Flight A singles. During his second round matchup against Harrison Kunkel of Loyola (Md.), Bernstein recovered from a one-set deficit to claim the victory in a tiebreaker 10-3. Bernstein went on to win a close matchup in the finals against Daniel Nino of Coppin State and claim fifth place overall for the Orange and Blue.
“Overall, I believe we posted a solid performance at Mount St. Mary’s,” Bernstein said. “We fought hard to magnify our strengths, execute smart strategies and gain better court-sense. It’s important in the beginning tournaments of the season to find some fundamental personal areas to improve on for the rest of the season.”
With two weeks of competitive action under their belt, the Orange and Blue will head to Flushing, N.Y. this weekend to take part in the USTA Tournament. Still in the early stages of the season, the team will look to build on its early success and work toward its ultimate goal of the Patriot League Championship.
“We have a lot of talent and experience on this team,” Reibeisen said. “We need to continue working to maximize our potential as a collective unit. I have high hopes for this season– the Patriot League title is within reach.”