Freshman tennis player Justin Cook is pretty happy with his move to the College this season. After transferring from the University of Connecticut last year, he hasn't looked back. "It got frustrating that I wasn't playing much, because I really enjoy (tennis)," Cook said. "I feel like the guys here put more effort into it. They go out (to the courts) when they're not required to and in the off season."
Cook continued his undefeated streak at the team's match-up with New York University (NYU). He handed NYU's Nikko Buencamino a 6-2, 7-5 loss.
Even the Lions' first loss of the season couldn't overshadow Cook's positive outlook for his team. NYU defeated the College 4-3 in Saturday's match.
"We were pretty surprised we actually had a lead in the beginning," Cook said. "It looked like we were gonna take them but they pulled one out."
The Lions won the doubles competition, with wins coming from senior captain Bryan Hanley and junior Victor Lai, as well as freshman Corey Ball and sophomore Ryan Carty.
Ball is also riding a winning streak after defeating Roger Emerola 6-2, 6-2.
The Lions downed the Manhattanville College Valiants on Wednesday, 7-0. "We were pretty confident," Cook said. "We were trying to sharpen our game for NYU."
The Lions swept the team doubles, with a decisive 8-0 shutout from Cook and sophomore Ken Tsui. Hanley and Lai posted an 8-4 win, while Ball and Carty won by default.
The College also dominated the singles matches, with Cook and Ball remaining undefeated. Hanley, Cook, Tsui and Ball didn't allow a point to be scored and Carty won 6-4, 6-2.
The Lions look to redeem their loss with a match against Carnegie-Mellon University. Earlier in the season, the team was defeated by both Carnegie-Mellon and NYU, but Saturday's close match has them looking to right their record. "It was a close loss," Cook said, "but it gave us confidence."
