LSC Tennis One Big Match Away

Men's Tennis is in for the quite the homestretch.

It all starts tomorrow afternoon at Castleton, where the Hornets begin a stretch of three North Atlantic Conference games within the next four games.

Junior Tyler Schofield, who is currently serving as the team's number-two seed, is placing a large emphasis on this upcoming match.

"If we beat them (Castleton), it's pretty much a lock to make the playoffs. If we don't, then it's a much tougher road," Schofield said.

Schofield is very happy with the team's output leading up to showdown against Castleton.

"I think they (teammates) are, including myself, improving a lot, more so than any other year that I have been here," Schofield said.

The Hornets did struggle last week, however, posting a 1-3 record. That stretch included an 8-1 loss to Johnson State on March 31, a 7-2 loss to Castleton on April 3, and a 9-0 loss to Johnson State again last Friday. However, the team did secure a 5-4 win over Green Mountain last Saturday.

Schofield thinks that the Hornets certainly have room for improvement.

"We just got to be more consistent. Tennis is a sport where, more often than not, you see guys beat themselves," Schofield said.

One of those players that need to improve may be Schofield himself, who struggled when he was forced to play as the number-one seed in the team's second match against Johnson State.

"I think I did alright, but clearly 6-1, 6-0 isn't something that I'm proud of," Schofield said.

Fortunately, Schofield will likely serve as the number-two seed in the all-important NAC matchup against Castleton. However, if freshman Armando D'Leon returns to the team, Schofield would play as the number-three seed. D'Leon was unavailable for comment on his playing situation with the Hornets.

Whether D'Leon plays or not, Schofield is jacked up for tomorrow's match.

"Going forward, I'm excited. It'll be a good test for us to see how we can respond to pressure."