LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Facing an undefeated opponent always has some effect on a team. Sometimes an undefeated team is an intimidating presence and starts the mental game with the group on the other side before anyone ever steps on the court. But that wasn't the case for the Biola men's tennis team on Thursday at the Biola Tennis Center.
The Eagles opened up against the 9-0 Rochester Yellowjackets and quickly developed the mindset that they could beat Rochester, that they would beat Rochester, with early service breaks in doubles before Head Coach David Goodman's group went on to with the 4-2 decision.
The momentum started on doubles court No. 2 where Derek James and Erik Martinez both held serve during their first rotation and found the holes in their opponents game to exploit for an early lead. After taking a 2-1 lead, James/Martinez won four-straight games to earn their second victory of the season as a doubles pair and give the Eagles their first step toward winning the initial point in the match.
While the Yellowjackets won a close 6-4 decision at No. 1, Biola gained traction in a comeback attempt at No. 3 with a break of serve at 3-4 down. David Garcia and Edwyn Ramos then held serve by forcing a number of unforced errors with Ramos at the net to take the 5-4 lead and put the Eagles in position to take the point.
"What stood out for me today was No. 2 doubles bouncing back and playing their best match of the season," said Goodman. "We have been struggling at two-doubles and tried a few new things and it seemed to make a big difference."
After Rochester saved a match point and pushed the game to deuce, the senior Garcia came up with an inspired cross-court backhand with incredible angle. All the Yellowjackets could do with Garcia's ball was float it back over the net, which set up Edwyn Ramos to smack the ball through center-court for the winner that put his team up 1-0.
After a brief break, the Eagles continued to press into the accelerator by jumping out to early leads on three courts. Logan Blair and Garcia strung together break after break to win their respective first set 6-0. Then Derek James finished his first set by winning the final three games to post a 6-3 score.
That set James up to roll through the second set on the way to a 6-3, 6-1 victory that put Biola back up in the dual match score, 2-1. The Arizona-native has now won his singles fixture in each of Biola's last four matches and is 6-0 this season in singles.
Now knowing that their matches could help their team clinch, Garcia and Blair both buckled down and fended off comeback attempts from their opponents in the second set. After Garcia was broken early in the second, he quickly rallied and delivered multiple winners near the right doubles alley to take the match 6-0, 6-2.
Blair actually dropped his serve in the game immediately following Garcia's win and fell beehind 4-3. But he continued to play impressive defensive tennis across the entire court, broke back and then held serve to tie the set at five games apiece. Biola's No. 2 then broke Runija Fang again with Fang surrendering a number of unforced errors while attempting to return Blair's heavy ground strokes.
Blair then won three points in a row the next game to create match point and watch a Fang backhand fall wide-right on match point number two to win the second set, 7-5, and give the match to Biola by a 4-2 score.
"For singles our upperclassmen have really stepped up for us this year. Derek, of course, is undefeated and playing great and Dave got another big win for us at No. 6," said Goodman. "Logan has also shown a lot of maturity in his game and growth from his freshman year to this year. I am proud of the way he kept together in those tense moments in the second set."
The Eagles will head to San Diego on Saturday afternoon to play Point Loma.
