Depth the difference for Geneva in downing Batavia
Team depth is what separated a couple of neighboring rivals Thursday afternoon. Geneva's boys tennis team boasts a fair amount of it, while Batavia's does not.
As a result, the Bulldogs (4-6, 1-1 in the Western Sun Conference) captured both the top singles and doubles matches, while the Vikings (4-5, 1-1) won everything else and headed off for the short drive back home with a satisfying 5-2 win.
"This was probably our best match of the year so far," Geneva coach Peter Burkhardt said. "Maybe the added incentive of it being Batavia made a difference."
Batavia coach Bob Kummer knew coming into the season that finding the right players to fill out the balance of his lineup would be key.
"That's what's been getting us all season," Kummer said. "We're trying different things, but you can't just keep changing the lineup all the time."
But Batavia's strength at the top was evident as Josh Cogan swept Filip Ivkovic in the No. 1 singles match, 6-0, 6-0, staking the Bulldogs to an early lead.
"Josh was excited about this match because he knew he was up against a good player," Kummer said. "He was very focused and knew what he needed to do."
The story was the same over on the doubles side, though the plot featured a few more twists.
Batavia's Ethan Carlson and Kyle Stiffler swept Peter Legrand and Ryan Barnard at No. 1, 6-4, 6-4, using a fast start in the opening set to grab control of the match.
"We felt confident coming in and started the first set strong," Carlson said.
But once the Vikings settled in, Carlson and Stiffler ran into a tougher challenge in the second set, falling behind 3-0.
"We brought each other back up and gave ourselves a confidence boost," Stiffler said. "We wanted to put it away, and we were able to do that."
Though Geneva won the rest of the matches, the scores indicated how just how big of a challenge that turned out.
Collin Rapp survived a long first set against Drew Demars, 7-6 (8-6), then gutted out a 6-4 second set at No. 2 singles.
"It was intense and every point counted," Rapp said. "I just wanted to get to every ball and not make mistakes."
West Adelman had a slightly easier time at third singles, beating Mick Collins, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1.
"West stayed patient, then did a really nice job of putting the ball away," Burkhardt said.
Kevin Potts and Mark Kennedy gave Geneva its first of three doubles wins, beating Tyler Mabry and Alek Mizikar, 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2, while Tyler Livingston and Andy Cisco survived a marathon opening set to sweep Connor Propp and Mike Kuzmanic, 7-6 (11-9), 6-2.
The Bulldogs' inability to win the close sets was a common theme throughout the dual, and Kummer worries that it is becoming a trend.
"It's a mindset for us now, and it's snowballing," Kummer said. "We're not just struggling with losing, we're also struggling with trying to figure out how to win. It's a mental thing right now."
Reed Chlasta and Cooper Sartell completed the winning effort for the Vikings by topping Dave Sarver and Andrew Sterling, 6-3, 6-1 at fourth doubles.
"I'm kind of new to the rivalry, but I gave them a little pep talk before the match," Burkhardt said. "I was happy with the way they responded."