La Salle Men's Tennis Completes 2008 Fall Season
Oct. 19, 2008
Philadelphia, PA - The men's tennis team completed their fall season with a 7-2 record. The incoming freshman and the leadership of the returning players were major factors for the success of the fall season. The men used a blue-collared work ethic mentality when competing and practicing. "Our motto going into matches was nine-to-five," said sophomore George Gennaoui. "Every meet we played was either a five or six hour epic battle." In several meets, emotions and adrenaline ran high. "It was nice to see my players not back down from their opponents especially the freshmen," said La Salle head coach Ed Colfer. Freshmen Morgan Abrams-Nicholas, Bill Nason and Fernando Tovia played important roles throughout the fall. The combined singles record for the freshmen was 21-9. Several meets were decided by freshmen victories. Upperclassmen Chris Harvey, George Gennaoui, Chris Butera and Jon Maula have embraced being leaders. Nason, who is a freshman on the team, stated that several times during matches, Harvey would offer simple advice to help him remain focused during crucial points of a match.
This fall, coach Colfer used nine different lineups due to injury or sickness. The depth this year allowed the team to continue its success. When Chris Butera broke his wrist, Fernando Tovia stepped in and contributed with victories and sophomore Andy Petrusky stepped in when junior Matt Rivera was out with the flu. Heading into the offseason, players will look to stay in shape by working out in the gym. The Explorers return to action on Saturday, February 7, 2009 when they travel to Jersey City, NJ to take on Saint Peter's College. Highlights from key matches: On September 15, the Explorers played Millersville. Coach Colfer was impressed with how players handled the extreme heat. In the 8-1 victory, number one player George Gennaoui won a two hour match. On September 19, La Salle played in the City 6 Tournament hosted at Temple. On October 10, La Salle defeated Delaware State at home, 6-1. The freshmen led the way with winning doubles and singles matches while Andy Petrusky and Bill Nason clinched the doubles point. Coach Colfer would like to thank the parents and fans who came out to support the team this fall. "The parents make sacrifices for their children to attend La Salle," said Colfer. "If it wasn't for their sacrifices, there would be no team to coach. It has been a pleasure coaching these players. They are a unique group of student-athletes." La Salle 2008 Fall Season Results George Gennaoui, SO 5-3 (Singles) 7-2 (Doubles) Bill Nason, FR 5-3 (Singles) 8-1 (Doubles) Morgan Abrams-Nicolas, FR 7-4 (Singles) 5-3 (Doubles) Jon Maula, SR 8-3 (Singles) 8-2 (Doubles) Fernando Tovia, FR 9-2 (Singles) 8-1 (Doubles) Chris Butera, SR 4-2 (Singles) 1-0 (Doubles) Christian Harvey, JR 0-0 (Singles) 4-5 (Doubles) Andy Petrusky, SO 2-5 (Singles) 3-2 (Doubles) Matt Rivera, JR 2-2 (Singles) 1-0 (Doubles) Justin Feiner, SR 1-0 (Singles) 1-0 (Doubles) |
