By Hanna McGuire
Sports Editor
Tennis is a game that often comes down to one point, one foot, or, in some cases, one call. When Loyola and its number-two singles player Connor Krause traveled to Mira Costa on March 8 and played number three-seed sophomore Kyvan Elap, one judgment call made a significant difference in the close match.
In the first point of the last game of the set, Elap hit a forehand that was clearly headed out. Instead of letting the ball bounce, however, Krause made the mistake of catching it. This illegal play frustrated Krause and allowed Elap to win the set, which was crucial in Costa’s 10-8 win.
“At first I was really disappointed that I was letting him beat me, but then [coach] Joe [Ciasulli] told me to go for my shots, I pushed myself and was able to pull out the win,” Elap said.
The Mustangs, 4-0, play today against Brentwood in their second away match of the season.
Number-one singles player Toni Cvitanic swept his three matches with scores of 7-6, 6-3 and 6-0. Cvitanic used his aggressive forehand and serve to draw unforced errors from Loyola’s number three player, sophomore Travis Martin.
“Toni played a flawless set against Travis. He really stepped up and proved how talented of a player he is,” assistant coach Mark McGuire said. “Every set counted, and it was great to have Ben and Chris clinch their matches.”
In number-one doubles, sophomore Ben Sands and senior Chris Stanbrook won two of their three matches, 6-3 and 6-4. Senior and number-two singles player Will Wong swept his matches 6-2, 6-3 and 6-3. Wong is playing after only spraining his left ankle. He was forced to stay off the courts for about three weeks.
“It was a bit difficult to start the season coming off of an injury,” Wong said. “However, I’ve been able to play my normal game and help the team win.”
Costa also lost six varsity starters from last year, and the team has been working hard to overcome this disadvantage.
“We are trying to develop everyone’s mentality to fight for every set, because one match could be the difference between a win and a loss,” Ciasulli said.
Although the Mustangs are currently undefeated, Ciasulli knows that several challenging matches lie ahead.
“It is going to be difficult to compete with elite teams such as Palos Verdes and Peninsula,” Ciasulli said. “My main goal for this season is to take our season to CIF, but its going to take a lot of hard work to get there.”
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