Netmen dominate
Winter Classic

Despite its youth and inexperience, the Penn State men's tennis team dominated the Penn State Winter Tennis Classic during the weekend.

However, the weekend started off with a scare for the Nittany Lions.

Michael Carter, Penn State's No. 1 player, pulled a hamstring during practice on Friday. He missed both days of the tournament and will not be practicing with the team until Wednesday.

The Lions called upon sophomore Mike Griesser to take the top spot in the A flight, and he played effectively. Griesser won his group, defeating Bloomsburg's Evan Rosen, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, in the final.

"The pressure was on him against Rosen," Lion coach Jan Bortner said. "He responded pretty well and gave a good solid effort."

Penn State dominated the B flight, sending two Lions to the finals. Colin Smeeton defeated teammate Tom Schneider, 6-0, 7-5.

Doubles play for Penn State was not as successful as singles play. The Lions lost a tough match in the A flight finals.

Bloomsburg's Marcus Nilson and Robert Dixon defeated Penn State's Colin Smeeton and Marc Dorfman, 8-6. Despite the loss, the Lions received a solid performance from Dorfman, a freshman who filled in for Carter in the No. 1 doubles pairings.

"He's a little green yet as freshman," Bloomsburg coach Marty Coyne said, "but he has all the tools you want in a player. He's going to be a great one for Penn State."

The Lions did well in the B flight, sending two pairings to the flight's finals, but Bortner is still concerned about his team's doubles.

"Our doubles are not where they need to be," Bortner said. "We need to improve in that area."

The Lions played well this weekend, but the Big Ten is loaded with talent and the Lions lack experience.

"We've got enough quality players, but they're young," Bortner said. "Our success will depend on how quickly they step it up."