Senior Gregory Suhor posted wins on Line 1 singles and doubles as the tennis team raised its record to 9-0 with a win over Brother Martin on Tuesday, March 24.

The Jesuit tennis team brought out the heavy lumber, make that graphite/titanium composite, for its much anticipated showdown with district rival Brother Martin on Tuesday, March 24. For the first time all year, Jesuit Head Coach Travis Smith opted to field his top line-up.

For the team’s first eight dual meets, all wins, Smith was able to experiment with different combinations and create some match-ups with an eye toward developing depth on the roster. But yesterday was not the time for experimenting.

“You don’t take chances with Brother Martin,” said Smith. “It’s an established program with strong players and first rate coaching.”

The Jays’ doubles teams took the court first and wasted no time making their mark. On Line 1, senior Gregory Suhor and junior Brandon Beck, the defending Division 1 state doubles champions, sprinted out to a 7-0 lead before closing out their match by a score of 8-1.

Junior Brandon Beck confers with his partner, senior Gregory Suhor. The duo set the tone on Tuesday with an exceptionally quick win at Line 1 doubles.

“Those two set the tone today,” said Smith. “They started fast and finished fast. I think the other two doubles lines for Brother Martin were shocked at how quickly that one ended.”

On Line 2, junior twins Jacob and Jonathan Niehaus also made quick work of their opponents, taking a bit more time but posting an 8-0 shutout. On Line 3, sophomores Trey Hamlin and Jack Steib completed the doubles sweep with an 8-1 victory, giving the Jays a 3-0 lead.

In singles play, the Niehauses, neither of whom has lost a match all year in singles or doubles, dashed any hopes for a Crusader comeback by quickly dispensing of their opponents on Lines 3 and 4, both by scores of 8-0

On Line 1, Suhor continued to impress with an 8-3 win, while senior Alex DePascual finished the meet with an 8-5 win on Line 2.

The Jays will look to make it ten straight when they take to the courts against St. Augustine on Thursday, March 26. Match time is 4:00 p.m. at the UNO Tennis Center.