Ryan Chartrand“Lots of energy today!” shouted head coach Justin McGrath as his Cal Poly men’s tennis team took the court for its first dual match of the season.
The young Mustangs took the advice to heart as they rolled over Westmont 7-0 Saturday afternoon at Mustang Courts.
Only three players returned from last season’s Big West Conference regular-season title team, but the four players making their Cal Poly debuts showed why the team still has aspirations to build on last year’s success.
“I thought we showed some nerves, but we fought through that and finished strong,” McGrath said. “We got off the courts quickly, which is always good. I thought it was important to get one under our belt.”
Cal Poly set the tone early, sweeping the three doubles matches to earn the doubles point. Junior Andy Gerst, a Washington transfer, teamed with freshman Joel Aherberg to win their match 8-2.
“We’re still trying to get a feel for each other in practice, but it felt good to get out and start the season,” Gerst said.
The other doubles matches were both won 8-3, as junior Darryn Young and sophomore Robert Foy used powerful volleys to dispatch their opponents.
“It’s good to get through the first one,” Foy said. “It’s good to be challenged, and face pressure positions so that when critical situations arrive, you’re ready.”
After being down 2-1, junior Nick Berger and freshman Blake Wardman rallied to win five of the next six points.
“We played a little tentative the first few games, but we were able to relax, be more aggressive and hit through our shots,” Berger said.
That confidence spilled over into the singles matches, with only one lasting to a third set. Aherberg dropped the first set against Kyle Godfrey in his singles match but responded well to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. Foy won 6-2, 6-3 against Kent Stormans.
The Mustangs dropped only four games in the remaining four matches. Young cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 victory, while Gerst handled Aaron Cooke 6-0, 6-2.
Wardman and freshman Drew Jacobs were also dominant in their matches, both dropping just one game over two sets.
“I thought the two boys from SoCal (Jacobs and Wardman) were impressive in their debut,” McGrath added. “And Gerst was gritty in his match.”
No one on the team says they expect smooth sailing for the rest of the season.
On Sunday, the Mustangs traveled to Fresno State and fell to 1-1 after a 5-2 loss.
Their next match is at Pepperdine at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.