The Lafayette tennis teams earned their first wins of the spring season, as both the men and women swept Coppin State 7-0 last Sunday, Feb. 24. The match was the fourth of the year for the women, who hold a 2-2 record after the win, and the second for the men, who now sit at 1-1 on the young season.

On the men’s side, sophomore Brandt Baldwin and freshman William Berry won their doubles match with a 7-3 tiebreak, and sophomores Dan Kramer and John Yurconic won the second doubles match 6-0 as the Leopards grabbed the doubles point.

Junior Paul Caruso and freshman Ross Coleman both won their singles matches, and Baldwin, Berry, Kramer, and Yurconic won the remainder of the singles points to complete the shutout.

According to Yurconic, the team has “lacked commitment” in the past, but the group is on their way towards being a more cohesive unit.

“The focus is to be focused,” Yurconic said. “We’re trying to make sure we practice with conviction at all times and that we’re concentrating on getting the job done.”

After a rough 4-0 loss to Siena in the season opener, Kramer said he felt that the team showed more “enthusiasm” in their recent win. The chemistry between him and Yurconic, who are doubles partners, has also been beneficial to the team’s recent success.

“I think it’s just a culmination of all the matches last year, we’ve played together for most of the season, so definitely developed some chemistry,” Kramer said. “We know each other’s games pretty well at this point.”

For the women, sophomores Cecilia Lesnick and Samantha Snyder won their doubles match and freshman Maureen McCormack and sophomore Alexa Cooke followed suit as the Leopards captured the doubles points.

Juniors Meredith Block and Katie Hill both won their singles matches, and Cooke, McCormack, Snyder and Lesnick also all earned singles victories to sweep the Bald Eagles.

As the calendar turns to March, the men’s team has four matches including a trip to Spring Tennis Fest in Hilton Head, S.C., while the women have just one match remaining before Patriot League play begins in late March.

“The second half of the season is definitely harder than the first half,” Kramer said. “We have all of our Patriot League matches then, and hopefully we can get on a roll.”

Next up for the men’s team is a match against St. Francis College Brooklyn this Sunday, while the women will return to action on March 10 against Delaware State University.