The Eastern University men's tennis team did not only battle Freedom Conference opponent FDU-Florham on Saturday afternoon, they also battled windy conditions. However, a quality opponent and wind did not hinder the Eagles as they evened their conference record by defeating the Devils 7-2.

Second and third singles set the tone for the match as both pairs picked up wins. Bryan Arnett and Dan Wilson cruised to an 8-0 win, while Josh Hall and Jonny Shenk used solid net play and key ball placement to propell them to an 8-5 win.

The Eagles used the momentum they gained in doubles and carried it over into singles play. From second to sixth singles, Eastern did not drop more than three games. Arnett set the pace, battling a tough oppenent by staying consistent in his ground strokes and point set up to take a 6-2, 6-0 win. With the win, the sophomore from Ellicott City, Md. improved his singles record to an impressive 9-2.

Wilson, Hall, and Shenk also followed up their doubles wins with wins at third, fourth, and sixth singles respectively. In addition, Tyler Hoagland picked up a win at fifth singles 6-0, 6-0.

"It was very important for us to come out strong against a quality opponent," remarked head coach Mark Spangler. "Our guys stayed consistent and did not let the windy conditions bother them."

"We have two tough conference matches this week," added Spangler. "If we can continue to improve on closing out points in doubles and our net play, we'll put ourselves in a great position to pick up two more conference wins this week."

Eastern will travel to DeSales University on Wednesday, April 14 at 3:30 PM, before returning home to battle King's on Friday, April 16 at 3:00 PM.