Junior Jacob Niehaus prepares to end a doubles point in Jesuit’s victory over Brother Martin with a forehand volley  on Tuesday, April 9.

The Jesuit varsity tennis team found the going a bit tougher the second time around, but still managed to post a 7-0 shutout over district rival Brother Martin.

Two weeks ago, the Jays dispensed of the Crusaders in a surprisingly lopsided match. Yesterday at the UNO Tennis Center, however, it was a different Brother Martin team.

Play started on the doubles lines and junior twins Jacob and Jonathan Niehaus staked the Jays to a quick lead with the day’s only shutout on Line 2. On Line 1, senior Gregory Suhor and junior Brandon Beck fended off a feisty Crusader duo to notch an 8-4 victory. Sophomores Trey Hamlin and Jack Steib completed the doubles sweep with an 8-1 win on Line 3.

All three matches were closer than the scores indicated, and a little too close for comfort for head coach Travis Smith, who wasn’t too pleased with the performance of his doubles teams.

“I think we were a little impatient today,” said Smith. “We were trying to end points too soon. It seemed like the guys were more interested in making the SportsCenter highlight reel than taking care of business in a disciplined manner.”

In singles, Suhor and fellow seniors Alex DePascual and Patrick Torsch posted wins on lines 1, 2, and 3 by scores of 8-2, 8-1, and 8-4, respectively. Beck picked up the win on Line 4 with an 8-2 decision.

“I felt a little better about the singles,” said Smith, who was particularly happy with the play of DePascual and Torsch.

“Alex played lights out,” said Smith. “His serve was virtually unreturnable, and his groundstrokes kept his opponent on the defensive.”

The Jays are now 12-0 on the season in dual meet play. Next up are the Terriers of Vandebilt Catholic, the defending Division II state champions, who will make the trip from Houma to New Orleans on Saturday, April 11. Match time is 10:00 a.m., weather permitting, at the UNO Tennis Center, with doubles and singles lines playing simultaneously.