Covenant’s boys tennis team has won six consecutive VISAA state championships dating back to 2008, and the Eagles’ pursuit for a seventh title couldn’t have started in better fashion as they knocked off visiting Seton School 5-0 Monday afternoon at Pen Park.
Boasting three seniors in the starting lineup, third-seeded Covenant (10-4) wasted little time getting on the board as one of those seniors, William Rose, made quick work of Seton’s Tommy Shaw 10-0 at No. 2 singles. Rose’s brother, Matthew, duplicated that feat by blanking Matt Bartolozzi at No. 3 to double the Eagles’ lead.
Junior No. 5 Roger Wang was next off the court for Covenant, downing Kevin Geiran by a score of 10-2, followed by senior Sam Adamson at No. 1, who defeated Thomas Rowzie by the same score.
Senior Kevin Coleman, one of Covenant head coach Patrick Kearns’ three captains, completed the sweep by beating Tommy Vanderwonde 10-1 at No. 4, giving the Eagles an insurmountable 5-0 lead and pushing them into the state semifinals.
“We’ve been working really hard all spring. I think it’s a big confidence booster to roll in the quarterfinals,” Coleman said. “As a six-time defending champion, there’s a bullseye on us.”
Covenant will meet second-seeded North Cross, a school to whom it dropped a 5-4 decision in the regular season, Friday afternoon in Richmond. Last season, the Eagles defeated North Cross in the semifinals en route to the state title.
“We struggled a little bid midseason,” Kearns said. “It was hard, but it made us better. You want to play tough competition, and now we’re peaking at the right time.”
Covenant 5, Seton 0
VISAA Division II quarterfinals
1. Adamson d. Rowzie 10-2
2. W. Rose d. Shaw 10-0
3. M. Rose d. Bartolozzi 10-0
4. Coleman d. Vanderwonde 10-1
5. Wang d. Geiran 10-2
6. Hollis vs. Fioramonti DNF
