Florida A & M University (FAMU) men’s tennis team experienced a humbling 5-2 defeat to Tulane University on Saturday afternoon in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“This season the team has been matched up with some competitive contenders who have giving us a great challenge,” said coach Carl Goodman. “These challenges have given us an opportunity to learn, to grow and to build our craft.”
The Rattler’s premature season has consisted of being on the road competing with other top teams around the country.
The doubles has been an area where the Rattler’s have struggle a bit this season. According to Goodman, doubles is a determining factor when it comes to setting the momentum of the match and scoring beneficial points.
FAMU (1-3) opened the match strong against Tulane taking the doubles, carrying out the vision and direction of coach Goodman and taking the lead.
“Winning the doubles helped set the teams momentum,” said Childi Gabriel. “Unfortunately that drive didn’t get us a win.”
FAMU’s Temuera Asafu-Adjaye and Maurice Wamokowa crushed Tulane’s Shaye Wali and Taskuma Ohashi, 9-8, 7-5.
Junior, Levan Clark and Senior, Michael Moore of FAMU defeated Tulane’s Rodrigo Rappaccoili and Adam Bernstein, 9-8, 8-6.
“As a team we could have played better, I don’t feel like we play to our full potential”, said Michael Moore a senior from New York. “It seemed like everybody was going through the motions…We let the match slip out of our hands.”
In the singles FAMU and Tulane battled it out. Among an intense energy both teams gave it their all. Tulane’s Ian Mark tied the overall match with a win over FAMU’s Takura Happy.
Green Wave of Tulane took the second set against the Rattlers with scores of 6-3, 7-5. Tulane’s Joe Young broke the tie with a win of 6-3, 6-3 over FAMU’s Maurice Wamokowa a senior from Kenya.
Tulane battled it out with the Rattlers to secure their victory by coming up on top in the final sets.
“Overall I believe that we played good but a couple of matched didn’t go our way in the end,” said Gabriel. “We rebounded well as a team throughout the match and we will continue to develop and get better as a team.”
The FAMU men’s tennis team plan on learning through their experiences and focus on the season’s goal: Winning another MEAC championship title.