Pairs pace netmen in win

By STEVE FEITL
and JERE GISH
Collegian Sports Writers

Going into yesterday's dual meet against George Washington, doubles teams were a concern for Penn State Men's Tennis Coach Jan Bortner. Today he has reason to be more confident.

The Lions swept the doubles round and earned the first team point against George Washington, which set the tone for the rest of the match. Penn State went on to win 5-2 at the Penn State Tennis Club.

"We got off to a good start," Bortner said. "We got the early service break in all three doubles matches. That's what we try to do and (yesterday) it just worked out."

The Lions carried their momentum with them into the singles matches, and the Colonials never recovered.

"We started off real slow," said George Washington coach Joe Mesmer. "It's not that we played bad, but we just didn't play real well, which you have to in order to beat a team like (Penn State)."

For this meet, the Lions experimented with new doubles combinations, including pairing two freshmen together. Colin Smeeton and Dale Cathell teamed up to win their doubles match 8-2, defeating David Skid and Brad Shafron.

"We complement each other's games real well," Cathell said. "He's got a lot of finesse and I've got more power."

Ivan Spinner, Penn State's No. 1 player, played in his first match since being sidelined with a stomach virus three weeks ago. He teamed with junior Doug Schoenly to win their doubles match 8-6. Spinner then went on to defeat Yuval Karutzy 6-3, 7-5, despite falling behind 4-1 early in the second set.

"I haven't played in a while, so I was pretty nervous out there," Spinner said. "I'm just glad I got through it and won. That was the goal, but I wish I didn't have to struggle that hard.

"I hope to play better on Saturday against Ohio State," he added. "All Big Ten matches are extremely important."

The Lions will face the Buckeyes at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Penn State Tennis Club. Ohio State is an experienced team which has been playing well, Bortner noted.

"They're on a roll right now," Bortner said. "We're playing them at the wrong time. It should be a good match."